Tag: Faith

REJOICE AND BE GLAD

By relying on God’s strength, you can move from anxiety to peace and stand firm even in the face of challenges. The scripture verse below encourages every one of God’s children to have confidence in the Lord.

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” [Psalm 118:24]

The Psalmist is drawing the attention of the Lord’s children with a call to recognize each new day as a deliberate gift from God, encouraging gratitude and joy regardless of circumstances. It emphasizes living in the present, acknowledging God’s sovereignty, and choosing a positive, faith-filled perspective rather than focusing on challenges.

So with such a promise, we should rise with joy in our hearts, with confidence, trusting in the Lord’s promise without fear, but with faith that his promise is guaranteed as long as you and I are focused and believe strongly that our faith is in him. There is no reason for us to doubt whatsoever.

We should not draw confidence from anywhere but the Lord God. Unfortunately, many draw their confidence from their titles, their education and their wealth, etc. They forget or lack strong faith in the promises of the Lord… So, here again below, the Psalmist encourages us to put our trust and confidence in the Lord rather than in man or in our own understanding.

Trust and have Faith with Hope in the Lord. “It is better to trust in the lord than to put confidence in man” [Psalm 118:8].
God is not human and will surely fulfill what He has spoken. He is the Promise keeper, so: “Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. So we can confidently say, The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” [Hebrew 13:5-6].

You’re not here by chance; this piece is to encourage you that God has good purposes for the Christian, and he will not forsake you because his promise is always kept, if you have confidence and faith in him.
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” [Romans 8:31].

Trust that no one can bring a charge against you, the Christian, since it is God who justifies. God has not called you today to remind you of the past but to encourage you by trusting in him, with faith and in hope.
Whenever you’re being overwhelmed, whether in the morning, midday, or in the evening, please avail yourself of these words of the Lord to build your Confidence, with Faith and Hope before sunset or dusk.

Start your day with the Word: Meditate on scripture to replace insecure thoughts with divine truth, such as “I can do all things through Christ” [Philippians 4:13].
Pray for courage: Ask God to empower you with strength when you feel fearful or uncertain [2 Timothy 1:7].
Reject to Compare: Avoid comparing your journey with others, which only fuels insecurity [2 Corinthians 10:12].

Resiliency and Rising Again: – Accept Mistakes as a Learning Curve: Mistakes are not failures; they are opportunities to rely on God’s grace and learn. [Proverbs 24:16]
Take a Step of Faith:– Take action based on what you believe God is calling you to do, rather than waiting for feelings of confidence to arrive first. [Proverbs 3:5-6]

So as a believer, you are reminded to rise every day in Confidence as you wake up with Hope in the Lord, for the Lord has always made each day a day to rejoice and be glad in it. Even so, should frustrations set in, remember to strengthen the day in Christ with focus and gather resilience to rise again.

Do not stay down, when you even fall, cling to the Lord and remind yourself to declare that you will rise again; the enemy has no stronghold on God’s people. “Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me.”[Micah 7:8]
That is the confidence, Faith, and Hope of assurance we have in Christ. Keep Faith and Hope alive.
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LEARN HOW TO SMILE AGAIN THROUGH THE WORD

Job 22:23: Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.

Believe it or not. God is the centerpiece of your day and your whole life. In our journey with Christ, there will be sunshine and rain, but we must learn how to lift our spirits through Christ Jesus. There’s no better way to lift up your faith and hope than saying a prayer and reading at least a little scriptural verse from the Bible for inspiration every morning and throughout the day.

Whether you are a Christian or not, everyone finds themselves seeking strength, love, and hope during difficult times. For Christians, the Holy Bible is a vital source of encouragement to build faith and hope.

If you cannot think of anything, follow us daily through the list of inspirational Biblical quotes and verses from time to time to find yourself again in Christ.

Whether you are in search of healing or displaced by the vicissitudes of life (sickness, job loss, and other unwelcome episodes), these verses will, no doubt, inspire you to move forward steadily.

As Christians, God occasionally will allow struggles into our lives for spiritual growth and strengthening, to refine our faith when we are so comfortable at where we are, with no or little glory to indicate God is even in our lives.
So, when we “believe” in our might and self-righteousness, we are likely to face trials, but these trials build perseverance and maturity, as in James 1:2.

“Consequently, when you face difficult times, know that challenges are not sent to destroy you. They are sent to promote, increase and strengthen you.”

So here are some inspirational quotes and Bible verses for every facet of our life circumstances and how we can manage them for our peace by aligning them with the Lord through prayers.

Henceforth in our perplexing conditions, we should take solace from the scriptures. 2 Corinthians 4:8: “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. This is a promise, so we have to declare based on the situation.

Psalm 23:4: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me”. Decree and declare in your case.

Why did David pray this prayer? He trusted the Lord for comfort through his darkest, most dangerous, and uncertain times like fear, depression, and loss and expressed his deep trust in God as his ultimate Warrior who provides protection, guidance, and comfort through life’s darkest moments. David’s prayer from Psalm 23 should be our cornerstone for hard times.

BELOW WE PRESENT PERIODICALLY A PRAYER(S) FOR YOUR UPLIFTING THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD.

Isaiah 41:10: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand”.

1 Peter 5:10: “And the God of all grace… will restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast”.

People will love you as long as you provide. They will stop loving you as soon as the benefit stops. Their loyalty is the provision. But here is the thing where Jesus asked his Disciples. Luke 6:32-35, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? … But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.” If you can understand Jesus, then you should get no love or anything back. This echoes the theme of radical, selfless love.

Isaiah 54:10: “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken, nor my covenant of peace be removed,’ says the Lord, who has compassion on you.”

Isaiah is reminding us about God’s commitment to his promises. It is a covenant of peace that won’t be broken, even when circumstances are chaotic. It’s a message of comfort, which means that even if everything else falls apart, God’s steadfast love for his children remains solid. Quote them, declare them to your situation for inspiration, faith and hope.

BELOW ARE MORE INSPIRATIONAL BIBLICAL VERSES FOR YOUR DAILY DEVOTION AND IN TIMES OF NEED.

THIS IS HOW TO USE THEM:
1. Speak them aloud and declare them daily to align your thoughts with God’s promises.
2. Sync them into your life and write them in a journal to reinforce them.
3. Meditate over them and let them fill your mind to overcome negativity.
DECLARATION
I Can Do All Things through Him who strengthens me.
My father in Heaven, I decree and declare over my life, in agreement with your word that says, we shall decree and declare a thing, and it shall be established in Heaven.

So my Lord Jesus, I come before you with a heart full of thanksgiving and humility, recognizing that in you, I find my strength, my hope, and my purpose. You have promised that: “I can do all things through you, for you strengthen me” [Philippians 4:13].

Father God, I choose to believe this promise, and I ask for your guidance, wisdom, and power as I face the various challenges and opportunities in my life.

Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Nehemiah 8:10 “I will not be sad or depressed because the joy of the LORD is my strength.”
Deuteronomy 28:13 “I will always be above, but never beneath.”
Deuteronomy 28:6 “I am blessed in my coming in and my going out.”
2 Timothy1:7 “God has not given me a spirit of fear and timidity. I have a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline.”
Isaiah 41:10 “I will not fear, because My God is with me.”
1 Peter 2:24 “By His stripes, I am healed.”
Matthew 5:14 “I am the light of the world.”

Our Lord Jesus, we know that you are our strength and our song in our hearts and on our lips. You have become our salvation; we will praise you, and we will exalt you. Father, I decree and declare that every mountain be removed from my life through the working power of the Lord Jesus Christ. We trust your promises through our Faith and Hope in Christ Jesus.

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 BE AWARE OF THE TIMES WE LIVE IN- THE DAYS ARE EVIL 

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:15-16.

What is the Time Now? Do you know what time of the day it is?

 Do you know what time it is at the geographical position you are in now? Where are you? What did you just say, and what did you just do in the last 12 hours? What are your longitudinal and latitudinal coordinates now? What have you done today, and what are you doing now? What is next? Are you prepared to meet Christ right now, wherever your Geographical position is?  It is never too late to make a U-turn. So do it now.

Even though we are God’s holy children, we also need to be aware of what time it is in our world. “The evil one still exercises his control over the hearts of many people. God wants us to “redeem the time,” making the most of every opportunity we have to touch the lives of others with his grace and to resist the temptation and overcome the opposition of the evil one.”

The days we live in are evil. The state of affairs is being played before us like a movie, and this is why this subsequent verse from James is advising God’s people to take heed, lest they fall. James 4:7 – “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you”. 

 Ephesians 6:10-11 also emphasizes: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armour of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil”. 

1 Peter 5:9: “Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world”. We have to know what’s right and what’s wrong as professed Christians. 

We’ve got to be careful and be shrewd, we’ve got to be able to discern, we’ve got to be able to listen to the Holy Spirit in us, we’ve got to be able to ascertain the moments of times, we’ve got to be able to know clearly who we identify ourselves with, we’ve got to be able to know who we follow and we’ve got to know who we listen to. Seems too much of “we’ve got to”? Nope. You have to build an intimate relationship with the Lord, and your eyes will begin to open to see all around you.

How? It’s simple. Read the Bible, pray along with it every day and listen to the voice of the Lord. The Bible and prayer are the communication tools as well as your armour for an intimate relationship with the Lord. Press on, even if it’s difficult to understand some verses. The Holy Spirit in you will guide you through the Scriptures with the times. As professed Christians, we must be very vigilant, shrewd and discerning of the facts and the truth presented by Scriptures. 

Again, we are living in a TIME that has been clearly stated by the Holy Bible.  If we are conscious of all of these surroundings, we should not be caught flat-footed as God’s children by the evil one. Let our Spiritual compass be the Lord, and he will guide us to navigate through the times we are living in.

He will open our eyes to see the temptations the devil sets up before us each day. Fully conscious of such devices, we will be ready to fight it off before it finds a root in us. Simply, we should not allow the devil to attack us before we act. Be wise and be not unwise about the realities of the times we are living in. 

Child of God, be discerning. READ THE BIBLE and don’t close it up. Don’t display it on your bookshelf. This is the Gospel. It is our FAITH and our HOPE.

LIFE OF FAITH AND WALK OF FAITH

The two most important things in our Christian theology are:

1. the life of faith  

2. the walk of faith.

These two pillars are significant points in the life of a Christian and if you understand these two points correctly your spiritual growth will be stronger. We have to be conscious of the fact that faith and godliness are not separate but are two sides of the same coin. 

Romans 1:17 states: “For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.” [life of faith].

Hebrews 11:6 states: “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him”. [the walk of faith].

Hence as we all strive for holiness; true godliness must have its root in a living faith in Christ Jesus. Christians must be careful to seek one without the other on the same parallel. You cannot nurture faith and forget holiness. Faith without godliness would be like having a strong foundation for a house, but no walls or roof. It is incomplete because it offers no true shelter for this divine purpose in life. We must have faith, for this is the foundation: We must have holiness of life, and we must have godliness for this is the framework for our faith and hope. We need the superstructure of spiritual life if we need to live and walk in faith.

Here is a question:  What would it mean to you if you build a house and inhabit in it without a roof? What purpose would it serve when the storm comes?  Even so we need the superstructure of spiritual life if we would have comfort in the day of doubt.

Seek a holy life with faith, so that the Lord can build his house in your life otherwise no matter what you do, you may be able to build the house but the house cannot stand in the Spirit. 

“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” We have a new life and guidance by the Holy Spirit hence, if we should live our lives in consistent alignment with the Spirit but not by our own desires, but by following Christ in our thoughts, words, and actions we will divinely fulfill the godliness and our faith in Christ. This will require an active, daily commitment to yielding in to the Spirit’s control, to allow Him to guide us toward righteousness, obedience, and love for others. 

Walking by the Spirit is the practical application of a life lived by the Spirit, requiring daily surrender and obedience to the Spirit’s will and guidance. 

In essence, Galatians 5:25 is a call to a dynamic and ongoing relationship with the Holy Spirit, where Christians should actively seek guidance and direction in a constant, self-control manner.  

“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit, let us be led in the Spirit, live in Obedience and bear Fruits.”

There’s always hope rooted deep in our faith for us as Christians. This is the Gospel truth for our FAITH and HOPE.

THE CHARACTER OF PEACE IN THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

As long as peace negotiators have assuaged or have little perception of peace, they will in no way be looked at differently in a different way at the peace table and would not comprehend the issue at the table, rightly so if in fact Christ is not placed at the center of the negotiation as well. Peacemakers at the opposite end of the table can’t talk peace if there’s a gun at each other’s parties’ heads. The world does not understand this. It takes the Lord to break the impasse.

The fact remains that: “The continuous refusal from each other to settle any impasse at Peace treaties has rendered and reduced peace negotiations to a mere name brand,” because we lack the understanding of the presence of God, the character of peace in the Fruit of the Spirit. At the end of the day, God is the only PEACE MAKER, not man. It is better to approach peace with God in mind as the negotiator.

To be concise, the character of Peace in the Fruit of the Spirit also highlights, in this case, that authentic peace is rooted in a foundation of mutual understanding, respect, and the absence of fear or external pressure. People at the table should be quick to listen, be careful in their points of view and how they are represented at the table without anger but with wisdom.

When these conditions are not met with God in mind and in prayer, attempts at the negotiation table are fruitless, as the essence of peace cannot be achieved under the shadow of conflict in this case, but significantly leaves the Lord God outside of the discussion. 

What the Scripture says:  James 1:19-20 states: “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.  

Hebrews 12:14: “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord”. 

Romans 12:18 encourages us to make a sincere effort to be peaceful and accommodating to others as far as it depends on us.

Fundamentally, Romans 12:18 confronts all peace negotiators in this case to embody a peace-making attitude, even in difficult circumstances, by doing everything within our power to promote harmony as the Scripture says and with faith and hope. 

To all Christians, don’t talk Faith without Hope, and don’t walk into a negotiation room or table without Faith and Hope in the Lord. This aligns with the principles of the Bible in times of peace negotiations. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.” [John 12-27]. This is the Gospel truth of our FAITH and HOPE.

HOPE FOR SALVATION
Romans 8:24-25- “For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”
What is Apostle Paul saying? To me, Paul, the Apostle of Jesus emphasizes that, based on our faith in Jesus Christ there’s salvation for “anyone.”
Romans 10:13 – “For whosoever (anyone) shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” There is nothing too complex about this verse but it’s not easy to see the simplicity of it too. Simply put, it is about salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. The word “anyone” in the verse also refers to people, whoever you are, wherever you live, regardless of your status, or a particular characteristic. In short, this is the universality of the gospel message.
“Believing in Him” means trusting and depending on Christ for salvation. This is an open invitation to all who call on the Lord in repentance with faith and believing with hope. Luke 5:32 confirms that Jesus came to call people who know they are sinners and need to repent, not those who think they are righteous. Salvation is for anyone who’s ready, regardless of what you are and who you are. You have to repent, believe, and activate your faith to receive your salvation.
Here is the deal if you are a non-Christian. You must be conscious of the fact that this hope of salvation is rooted in the belief that Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross offers forgiveness and reconciliation with God. IT IS FOR ALL HUMANITY. The deal is cemented and never to be walked back. It is the pathway to an unshakeable hope for salvation. All you have to do is come boldly repent for your evil past or sins and declare that you have ACCEPTED him as your Lord and personal Savior and indeed as the son of God.
The Lord’s promise of salvation provides comfort, strength, and hope in times of difficulties and encourages us as Christians to live an honorable and virtuous life.
If you are not a professed Christian and you are reading this piece, I must say you are not here by chance. The Holy Spirit has brought you this far. Do not turn your back on the Lord.
If on the other hand, you are devoted or a baby Christian, it is a reminder for you to increase your relationship with the Lord, eradicate your unbelief, and stop being focused on your “selfish self.”
I would emphasize that this hope in Christ in the subject under discussion is much bigger than the idea of an everlasting life where believers in Christ will experience timeless life with God in Heaven beholding our Lord God forever.
I will also stress that Christians who are struggling with hopelessness should remember their covenant with Christ. Your faith, trust, confidence, and motivation will increase your hope and break the chain of hopelessness to allow you to glorify the Lord here and eternally.
Your future is brighter than you think. Don’t you ever quit, open your heart to the Lord. Hope with perseverance will yield results for God’s glory. Without hope, we don’t have Christ and without Christ, we don’t have salvation.

DECISION
1. You have the choice to renew your Salvation, and the time is now.
2. You have the choice to accept the Lord as your Lord Jesus your Salvation. The time is now.
Romans 15:13: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing.”
// RADS//
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