Category Archives: Faith

Favorite Verses – Hebrews 12-1-2

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“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1, 2 ESV)

To me, these two verses lay out our greatest and most important challenge as Christians. The “great cloud of witnesses” refers to all the faithful men and women listed in chapter 11 which has come to be known as “the hall of faith”. These faithful people served God and endured to the end. That’s what we are challenged to do.

I have so many things I want to accomplish in this life. Goals are great to have, but if I don’t have this as my main goal, I am missing the point. These verses make me want to get to work and run with endurance!

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The Post I’ve Struggled with Writing – aka A Little Love Goes a Long Way

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Y’all, I’ve had this post in my head for a while now. There were so many ways that I considered going with this post. It started off as me jumping on my soapbox and thinking rant-y thoughts. Then it evolved into something a little more reflective. I’m still not sure where I’m going with this. We’ll see how it goes.

Okay, deep breaths. I will just come out and say it. I’ve been struggling with all of the negativity I have noticed lately. It’s on Twitter. It’s on Facebook. It’s in real life. It all started somewhere around the time of the great Chick-Fil-A debate of summer 2012. Maybe it’s because this is an election year, but people seem to be more outspoken then ever before. This is both a blessing and a curse. As you can probably gather from my hesitancy to post this, I’m here to talk about the curse side of things.

First of all, I want to say LOUD AND CLEAR that I am all for standing up for what you believe in. This is something as Christians that we should do more of. What has bothered me lately is the ATTITUDE behind some of the debates on social media I’ve witnessed. There is a big difference between speaking the truth in love and being snarky, rude, and just plain hateful. We all sin and fall short. It almost seems like in some instances people are arguing for the sake of arguing and that has been what has bothered me. Yes, I want to stand up for my faith and share it with others. At the same time, I want to live in a way that when debates arise, people won’t be surprised at my stand. They will already know where I’m coming from.

Let’s don’t forget love. Let’s put concern for other souls as our main motivation in taking a stand. Let’s keep sharing our faith and letting our light shine. A little bit of love goes a long way.

Personal sidebar: I let this negativity get to me. It discouraged me. Then, I started making an effort to turn it around. It has made me examine myself and make some changes. I’m trying to be a little more positive with every passing day. I’m trying to think more about reaching the lost. Please pray with and for me.

Favorite Verses – John 14:6

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“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 (ESV)

After Papaw Bud passed away, my dad gave my sister and I each one of his Bibles. Daddy wrote out this verse on a piece of paper he stuck inside the Bible for me. Since then, it has been my favorite verse in the New Testament. It’s the first piece of Scripture that comes to mind when I try to repeat scriptures in my head. The 146 in my WordPress username and my Twitter account (@bethp146) is for 14:6 of this verse. In fact, I love the entire chapter.

To me, the verse is a reminder that to have a relationship with God, we must come through Christ. That’s what I strive to have – a relationship with our Heavenly Father. Jesus is everything to and for us. His is the path we must walk and it’s His footsteps we must follow.

Favorite Verses – Micah 6:6-8

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“With what shall I come before the Lord,
and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:6-8 ESV)”

What God requires:

1. Do justice
2. Love kindness
3. Walk humbly with Him

These are all things that should be easy to do. Yet life, temptations, and human nature all hinder us from this sometimes. I love this passage because it spells out in black and white how I should be living. It’s a wonderful reminder!

Favorite Verses- Psalm 8:1-4

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O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established strength because of your foes,
to still the enemy and the avenger.
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him? (Psalm 8:1-4 ESV)

Reasons why this is one of my favorite passages:

1. It asks and answers the question “what is man that you are mindful of him.” We don’t deserve God’s grace and care, and yet He has our best interests at heart. This is an incredible thing!

2. It reminds us that we can see that God exists because of His wonderful creation.

3. It praises God.

1 Corinthians 13:13 – Love

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“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13

Abide - Faith - Hope - and now… Love.

How do I even begin to write a post that does love justice? I know I won’t be able to because Biblical love is too amazing for me to fully comprehend. Love is the reason for everything. Love is the greatest.

The entire chapter of 1 Corinthians 13 provides a description of the characteristics of love. In the King James version, the word “charity” is used in place of love. This word is the word agape or ” ” in Greek. It’s the type of love that we have for our brothers and sisters in Christ and the type of love God has for us. According to 1 Corinthians 13 this type of love is kind, patient, everlasting, and unfailing . It’s not boastful or envious.

Agape love is sacrificial. John 15:13 tells us “Greater love has no one than this,  that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (ESV). Romans 5:8 says, “but  God shows his love for us in that  while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Because God loves us, He provided a way of salvation for us. He sent His only Son as the perfect sacrifice for our sins. This type of sacrificial love is so amazing to me! Nothing can separate us from God’s love (Romans 8).

God loves us, and we are supposed to love our brethren in the same way. Mark 12:30-31 states, “ And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’  The second is this:  ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment  greater than these.”

Christians and love go hand in hand. I truly believe love should be one of the defining characteristics of our lives. Love really is the greatest, and I’m thankful for Biblical love!

Verses I’ve Needed to Read Lately

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“Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all the day long.”
(Psalm 25:4, 5 ESV)

“who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2 Corinthians 1:4 ESV)

“do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”(Philippians 4:6-8 ESV)

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:6, 7 ESV)

Nothingness

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It was a country blue and white plaid chair in the living room of my childhood home. I sat there one afternoon with my feet hanging over the side of the chair arms. I was young – probably only in first grade. I remember closing my eyes and contemplating. I thought about the darkness started to imagine what things would be like if all there was in life was darkness. What if nothing existed? What happened after life? These were deep questions for a little girl to ask herself. I had always had a big imagination, and I guess I was curious. I can’t remember what triggered all these thoughts. I only remember thinking them.

At that point in my life, my parents were Christians who had fallen away. We didn’t go to church.
I didn’t know much about God or Heaven. I think now that my young mind was searching for the meaning of life. I think I knew there must be more than dark nothingness. I’m glad there is. I’m thankful my parents returned to their first love. After we returned to the church, they taught me and my sister with a fervor. They made sure we didn’t take our faith for granted! I’m thankful for their faith and strength.

I am also thankful God sent light so we have the opportunity to not have to worry about a life of nothingness! To be continued…

1 Corinthians 13:13 – Hope

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“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13

“I hope it doesn’t rain today.” - ”I hope Alabama wins the softball college world series tonight.” - ”I hope my favorite store puts that dress on sale.” – “I hope we get to go on vacation this year.” – These are all examples of how most people use the word hope. Yet, hope is something much deeper than a friviolous wish. In Romans 8:24-25, the Bible indicates that hope in these earthly things is not true hope.

24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. (NKJV

The Greek Lexicon has a definition for the word hope in the verse 1 Corinthians 13:13 that says hope is “joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation.” Biblical hope is something that we can expect to happen. To me, hope is a Biblical concept that gives me confidence like no other.

Romans 5:1-5 explains the concept of hope:

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have[a]peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (NKJV)

Hope is something we rejoice in and something that grows in us. We have access to hope through Christ. So what do we have hope in? Eternal life and salvation (1 Thessalonians 5:8. Titus 1:2, Titus 2:7).

Today, I am thankful for Biblical hope and the confidence it gives to the Christian. It’s not something we are confident in because of what we have done but because of what He has done for us!

1 Corinthians 13:13 – Faith

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A few weeks ago, I started this little mini series on 1 Corithians 13:13. I had good intentions for posting for several Wednesdays on the row on the verse. As you can see, it didn’t happen. I must hang my head sheepishly and admit I let the business of life get in the way of continuing. It’s back this week though! If you want to catch up, you can find the first two posts here and here. 

“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13

What is faith? Hebrews 11:1 states, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (NKJV). Faith is important for Christians. Faith is our belief in God and His Word, but it is also so much more than that.

These are some characteristics of Faith.

  1. Faith is a necessity. Hebrews 11:6
  2. Faith comes from God’s Word. Romans 10:17
  3. Our faith is in God. Mark 11:22
  4. Faith is active. Faith must be coupled with works. James 2:14-26
  5. We are to live by faith. Romans 1:17
  6. Faithfulness is a requirement of stewards 1 Corinthians 4:2

In many ways, faith is a way of life. Because we have faith in God, we act on our faith and do our best to live for Him. I’m thankful today that God gives us the opportunity to love, obey, and serve Him!