Growing in Faith

  Devotion 8 – Persevering Faith (1) – Pilgrim Mindset Heb.11:36-40 – “Still others had trial of mocking and scourging, yes, and of chains and imprisonment.  They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented -   of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise , God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.” The main theme in Hebrews chapter11 is faith and it highlights many great Old Testament heroes of faith and how their hope is being rewarded in this life.  Through their example, m any of us are inspired to pursue victorious faith or overcoming faith, the ability to conquer and change our life circumst...

  Devotion 10 – Persevering Faith (2) – An Eternity Mindset Heb.11:8-16 – “ By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance….   By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God… These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them , embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth . For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland … they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country .  Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.” Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, Rachel, L...

  Devotion 10 – Saving Faith & Obedience   Jas.2:20-24 – “D o you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?     Was not Abraham our father justified by works  when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?    Do you see that faith was working together with his works , and by works faith was made perfect?  And the Scripture was fulfilled which says,  “Abraham believed God, and it was   accounted to him for righteousness.”  And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only .”   The work in this context is not referring to just any good works but works related to obedience. Authentic faith in God is not just the verbal expression of one’s belief; it is measured through our obedience. Obedience is the visible expression of our invisible faith. God initially declared Abraham righteous based on his faith (Gen.15:5-6). However, ...

  Devotion 11 - The Danger of Unbelief Heb.3:12 – “ Beware, brethren , lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God…”   The scripture associates and accords unbelief to one having an evil heart, and it warns us that unbelief can cause us to depart from the living God. One important thing to note is that the author of Hebrew addresses them as ‘brethren’ to show that his admonition is targeted towards believers. This means that it is possible for believers to have an unbelieving heart.   Unbelief is different from doubts. Doubts are part of the process of decision making, it is like when we are at the crossroad and need to choose which direction to take – belief or unbelief. When we are in doubt, it simply means we are not 100% sure. However, unbelief is when we make a choice to go against what God has spoken.   Ex.23:31 – “ And I will set your bounds from the Red Sea to the sea, Philistia, and from the desert to t...

  Devotion 12 – Faith & Conscience   1 Tim.1:18-19 – “ This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare,  having faith and a good conscience , which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck …” In the above Scripture, Paul identifies a connection between faith and conscience. A good conscience is a safeguard for Christian faith and life. Faith and a good conscience go together. If we do not have a good conscience, we cannot have an authentic faith.   The Conscience—An Internal Guide and Judge Our conscience is a part of our God-given internal faculties, a critical inner awareness that bears witness between moral right and wrong - “ their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves  their  thoughts accusing or else excusing   them ” (Rom.2:15). It functions as both a guide and a judge. It serves...

  Devotions 13 – Patience & Faith Heb.6:12 - “Y ou do not become sluggish but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises .” Faith and patience must work together to inherit the full promises of God. The world defines patience as the ability or willingness to suppress the irritation in our emotions caused by people or circumstances. However, the Bible shows us that patience (longsuffering, endurance, perseverance) is the fruit of the spirit that gives us the strength to endure and remain steadfast in trusting the promises and character God (Gal.5:22). We mistakenly think that patience and faith represent opposite ends of the pole, because we see patience quietly waiting without complaint, while faith would fearlessly and boldly speak things into existence at that very moment. However, the Scripture often links patience and faith together as they go hand in hand.   Rev.13:10 - “ He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity;...

  Devotion 14 – Faith in God’s Sovereignty If God is in control, then why is there so much suffering, so much pain, so much injustice and so much heartache in the world? These are questions many of us will continue to struggle with throughout our faith journey unless we settle the issue of God’s Sovereignty in our hearts. Many believers have a huge dichotomy between our head and our heart. We may confess and profess with our mouth that God is love, God is good, God is in control, etc, etc, but in our heart of hearts, there is no real faith in the love and goodness of God. Subconsciously, we actually believe that though God is powerful and just, He is also hard and demanding, without compassion, distant, uncaring, even ruthless and vindictive. When trials and tribulations happen, we often question His integrity and feel that God only had His glory in mind, and human beings are merely pawns in His chessboard, made to accomplish His desire and purposes on this earth. Can we truly...