Christian Believers New Journey

04/08/2023

"It is finished." - Jesus

09/28/2021

Proverbs 22:4
The reward for humility and fear of the LORD is riches and honor and life.

If someone offered to give you a new car if you would simply wash theirs, how long would it take you to grab your bucket and sponge? A reward so much greater that the sacrifice is hard to resist. And yet we do.
All God asks of us in exchange for an abundant, rewarding life is that we give Him the respect He deserves. He wants our humble, sincere acknowledgment that His ways are better. He wants our trust. As we place our faith in Him, life grows richer in every way. We acknowledge our smallness, and He makes us greater. We willingly offer Him all we have, and He gives us more than we ever wanted.

God, what You offer is so much greater than what You ask. For humility, You offer honor. And yet I cling to pride. For respect You offer riches, abundance, and life, and yet I stubbornly insist on my own way. Help me, God to remember who You are. You are God, the Almighty. You deserve all my love and respect, and in return, though I don't deserve it all, you give me all of yours.

Amen





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Proverbs 22:4:
True humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honor, and long life.

Fear of the Lord (see 1:7; 9:10) goes hand in hand with humility. A humble person knows that he is not the center of the universe. Humility is more valuable than wealth (16:19; 11:2; 15:33; 18:12).

Proverbs 1:7
Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Fear of the Lord recognizes total dependence on God for everything, including knowledge and wisdom. It is not just a mental attitude but involves service, love, and obeying God's laws. Fear of the Lord is the basis of all knowledge. How can we understand life without knowing the most fundamental truth about it – that it is God's creation?

Proverbs 9:10
Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgement.

Proverbs 16:19
Better to live humbly with the poor than to share plunder with the proud.

Proverbs 11:2
Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

Pride is dishonest self-promotion, whereas humility is an honest assessment of one's strengths and weaknesses.

Proverbs 15:33
Fear of the Lord teaches wisdom; humility precedes honor.

Fear of the Lord fosters humility because proper regard for God counteracts our delusions of self-sufficiency.

Proverbs 18:12
Haughtiness goes before destruction; humility precedes honor.

Haughtiness cultivates pride. It leads to failure because it does not allow for change in the face of criticism. Humility learns from others and leads to the honor of success.



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Laying your life down in tender surrender before the Lord will bring life, prosperity, and honor as your reward.

Perhaps the reason humility is so hard to achieve is that we so desire its promised reward of honor. Perhaps the reason it's so hard to give up control is that we so desire the prosperous, abundant life we are told is waiting.
Focused on the prize, we lose our footing on the path. Doesn't this prove our smallness, our utter need for Him? We simply cannot do this without the Lord. The glory and riches we crave are only found in Him, in His example. Humbling, isn't it? And the humbling sets us on our way.



Precious Jesus,

Only in You can I find the perfection, the blessings, and the glory I strive for. I want, I reach, and I grab. And then I am reminded of You, who wanted only to see me saved; who reached only toward those who needed healing; who grabbed only onto the Father's will. And I am humbled. Thank you, God, for your incredible humility. One step at a time, may I follow your example straight to my reward.

Amen

What prize have you been too focused on lately? Can you allow God to step in and help you reach your goal?

09/27/2021

Lord, I know that people's lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps.
Jeremiah 10:23

When you surrendered your life to Christ, how much thought did you put into the fact that you were surrendering you life? Jesus, Take the Wheel is a great song, but most of us have a hard time actually removing our hands and letting Him drive. It sounds scary – and it would be if we didn't have such an awesome faithful God.

We can trust Him! With every step we take in faith, we can believe we are moving toward meaning, truth, and light. His plan is perfect, and unlike anyone else we will ever meet, He cannot, will not, steer us wrong.



God, I trust you. I have faith in the plans You have for me, and despite my grasping fingers, I so want You to drive. Every place You lead me is just where I belong, and each time You draw me onward, I know the way will e rewarding and the destination sweet. You will never steer me wrong; I trust You with my life.

-Amen

03/14/2020

02/15/2020

"You cannot discredit truth. Truth is truth, and it can neither be proven nor disproven. It simply is.
The wonder and beauty of My message cannot and will not be affected by what peoople think of you.
Indeed, you are one of the best ambassadors, because you have lived your life in a way that you call less than perfect.
People can relate to you -- even as they judge you. And if they see that you are truly sincere, they can even forgive you your 'sordid past'.
Yet I tell you this: So long as you are still worried about what others think of you, you are owned by them.
Only when you require no approval from outside yourself can you own yourself."
~ Neale Walsch

11/06/2019

When a man of good will is afflicted, tempted, and tormented by evil thoughts, he realizes clearly that his greatest need is God, without Whom he can do no good. Saddened by his miseries and sufferings, he laments and prays. He wearies of living longer and wishes for death that he might be dissolved and be with Christ. Then he understands fully that perfect security and complete peace cannot be found on earth.

10/20/2019

05/26/2019

God can be witnessed in the world today in immeasurable ways. The freedom of choice that we still enjoy in our country is visible in undeniable ways that allow us to do things that are both decent and good, and unfortunately evil and bad. There is still evidence of evil here, but I personally believe that the good in people far outweighs the evil. Satan is alive and roaming our world. Evidence of evil being defeated by God is daily, in events that aren’t divulged to us. Children being kidnapped and miraculously found. Cancers being cured by medically inexplicable forces. Non-believers coming to Christ. These are all testimonies of God and they are altogether compelling facts to believe in and praise God for the blessings he grants on those who follow Him.
The definition of miracles that I have found to be the best descriptive of the word is “Events which unmistakably involve an immediate and powerful action of God designed to reveal His character or purposes.” (Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, 2003, p. 1135) It implies to me that miracles can be instantaneous, happening in the blink of an eye. The healing of the blind, deaf, and lame; these are all miracles that were described in the Bible. Jesus used this ability to bring people to Him, to follow and to testify to who He was. These miracles still happen today.
Also, a miracle “is an occurrence at once above nature and above man. It shows the intervention of a power that is not limited by the laws either of matter or of mind, a power interrupting the fixed laws which govern their movements—a supernatural power.” (Jensen, 2018) This ‘supernatural power’ is mind boggling for me to comprehend sometimes, but I never doubt it. I believe that God can do supernatural things. That there is nothing that He can’t accomplish, bring into being, deliver and give to the believers that follow Him. My God is a mighty God!!
“Naturalism is the belief that only natural explanations (as opposed to supernatural ones) should be considered. Because a designer is defined as supernatural – beyond nature – naturalism rules out this explanation, regardless of evidence.” (Craig, 2010, p. 121) This description of the differences between naturalism and supernatural is the most clear-cut definition I can find. It breaks down the differences clearly for me to understand.
I am beginning to learn how to use apologetics within my own personal testimony. My mere existence, today, is a miracle and a great testimony to how God has and is moving in my life. I honestly shouldn’t be here, but my intentions were not what God had planned for me. He brought me back from the edge of death and instilled in me a fire for knowledge of The Word and an unquenchable thirst for His “living water”. “Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’ “(When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not entered into his glory.) John 7:38 (Life Application Study Bible: New Living Translation, 2008)
“Miracles happen wherever faith and God’s presence are found.” (Arlandson, 2007) This simple statement provides the perfect beginning to an argument a skeptic might have. Miracles can be seen everywhere if you choose to look for them. You must have an open mind. The skeptic, however, questions everything. You must give strong evidence and facts to back up the claims you make.

By: Cheryl Chandler

Works Cited
Arlandson, J. (2007, January 13). Do Miracles Happen Today? Retrieved from American Thinker: https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2007/01/do_miracles_happen_today.html
Brand, C., Draper, C., & England, A. (Eds.). (2003). Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. Retrieved 5 25, 2019
Craig, W. (2010). On Guard. DavidCCook. Retrieved 5 25, 2019
Jensen, R. W. (2018, November 29). What are Miracles? (Films for Christ) Retrieved from Christian Answers Network: https://christiananswers.net/dictionary/miracle.html

Has anyone recovered immediately after words of prayer or even commands of healing have been spoken? It is time to investigate this and apply the results to philosophical and theological arguments.

04/02/2019

When a person receives the redemption covenant called salvation and is born again and redeemed, that person enters into the covenant through the blood of Christ. When a sinner is convicted by the Holy Spirit and repents and asks Christ into his or her life, that individual does not see or experience an angel of the Lord bringing the literal blood of Christ to repaint the heart and doorway. However, a real, very literal transformation occurs when you confess the Lord Jesus with your mouth. This confession causes Christ to remove the guilt of sin and replace it with the peace of God. Christ, who is our High Priest in the heavenly temple, bears in His hands, feet, and sides the scars of His work of redemption for you. The removal of the presence of sin is very real and literal. However, the blood is applied through the confession of your faith.

03/31/2019

□ James 2:14-26
What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don't show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?
Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing,
and you say, "Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well" -- but you don't give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?
So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
Now someone may argue, "Some people have faith; others have good deeds." But I say, "How can you show me your faith if you don't have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds."
You say you have faith, for you believe there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.
How foolish! Can't you see that faith without good deeds is useless?
Don't you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: "Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith." He was even called the friend of God.
So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.
Rahab the pr******te is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road.
Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.