Staying In Faith

Matthew 14:29-31 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

It's not enough to step out in faith, we must walk by faith every step of the way. Many times like Peter we start out in faith, but because of circumstances and people we get hurt, discouraged or betrayed and begin to doubt. We must guard our faith and be relentless in protecting the only thing that can empower us to do the impossible.

So how do we continue on in faith, when it seems like everything around us is trying to get us to doubt and give up. The answer is Focus; we have stay focused on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith., we have to stay focused on our mission and the calling of God upon our lives and we have to stay focused on those things that have eternal value.

Life is filled with distractions and problems, and we can not bury our heads in the sand. We have to deal with distractions and problems, but dealing with them and being consumed by them are two totally different things. As a Pastor my life is filled with problems and challenges and my job is to help my church and our people work through those challenges and come out on the others side with the victory that Jesus has for us. Dealing with problems and challenges is apart of life, but we must refuse to be consumed by them and allow them to steal our focus.

Continuing in faith is the result of a determined focus, everyday we must take time to reset our focus at the feet of Jesus, we must remind ourselves of what we have been called to do and we must remember that it is always about the eternal souls of men. These three things help us to finish the race and complete the course, staying in faith and doing the impossible.

The Avenger

Let me go ahead and confess that I loved the Avengers movie and I am a fan. Of all the Avengers I like Captain America the best. He represents integrity, truth and justice and he acknowledged that there is only one true God. Which brings us to the point of this message today, there is only one true God and He Is The Ultimate Avenger!

David tells us in Psalm 9:12 "For he (God) who avenges blood remembers; he does not ignore the cries of the afflicted." God avenges the blood of the innocent and helpless, he hears the cries of the afflicted. The dictionary defines an avenger as one who takes vengeance for or on behalf of another. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 10:30 "vengeance is mine, I will repay, says The Lord"

Our world is filled with injustice and our systems of law and justice, though the best in the world, still has flaws. Many times in our lives we see and experience the injustice of sin, corruption and deception. As people lie, deceive, destroy and even kill the innocent.

In these times of injustice many people want to blame God; why didn't he intervene, why didn't he do something to stop the injustice. But he has, he has given us as humans authority and liberty to govern ourselves and make our own decisions and choices. The free will of man is a gift from God that brings blessings and curses based upon the choices of man.

But God has placed a check and balance system into his creation. One day all humanity will stand before almighty God and he will avenge the injustice of man with the righteous justice of God. The Avenger as David said, does not ignore the cries of the afflicted, he will bring justice for all!

A Leaf of Hope

Five years ago for Christmas my B.B.(beautiful bride) as I affectionately call her, gave me a framed picture of us, (me still sporting the mustache that I wore for so long) with this devotional that she had written. As I was doing my quiet time this morning I was reminded of her gift and I wanted to share it with you.

"A Leaf of Hope"
Genesis 8:11 "When the dove returned to him (Noah) in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth"

Noah would have been happy to have the dove, but to have the leaf! This leaf was more than foliage; this was promise. The dove brought more than a piece of a tree; it brought hope. For isn't that what hope is? Hope is an olive leaf - evidence of dry land after a flood.

Don't we love the olive leafs of life? And the people who bring them? When a husband comforts his wife and cares for her during difficult times. When a wife encourages her husband, when it seems like the world is against him. When a friend calls just to let you know they care. When a stranger does something kind, or when you read a scripture that you have read many times but the Holy Spirit brings it to life at just the right moment.

Take some time today to look around for the olive leafs of hope, but also to thank God for the people in your life who bring them. God is faithful and just because you can not see the dry land doesn't mean it is not there. There is a dove on your way and he has an olive leaf in his mouth, just for you!