Rhythm of Faith

photo credit: Alessandro Pautasso I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Phil 3:14 The 17th century preacher Thomas Watson said that the way from earth to heaven is not easy, and he is so right. Our life is filled with ups and downs, joys and sorrows, seasons that seems peaceful and easy, and seasons that are laborious and tiresome. We all know what it is like to be overwhelmed with all that we have to do or be in the midst of a strained relationship. Life is not easy. Paul knew all about these hardships. In fact, he wrote the book of Philippians while in prison, but his eyes were so focused on Jesus that this book turned out to be one of the most encouraging and joyful letters he wrote. The Bible likes to compare our life to a race. 1 Cor. 9:24 challenges us to “run in such a way as to get the prize!” Hebrews 12:1 tells us to “run with patience the race that is set before us.” Psalm 119:32 says that we should, “run the way of [God’s] comman...

 Through investigations, dreams, and visions, Jesus asked me to forsake my Muslim family. " Allahu Akbar . I bear witness that there is no god but Allah. I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah." These are the first words of the Muslim call to prayer. They were also the first words ever spoken to me. Moments after I was born, I have been told, my father softly recited them in my ear, as his father had done for him, and as all my forefathers had done for their sons since the time of Muhammad. We are Qureshis, descendants of the Quresh tribe—Muhammad's tribe. Our family stood sentinel over Islamic tradition. The words my ancestors passed down to me were more than ritual: they came to define my life as a Muslim in the West. Every day I sat next to my mother as she taught me to recite the Qur'an in Arabic. Five times a day, I stood behind my father as he led our family in congregational prayer. By age 5, I had recited the entire Qur'an in Arabic and mem...

Think of this example that is so common in our society today: You have a friend that is sleeping with her boyfriend or girlfriend. You know that they are engaging in this behavior because they share with you regularly that their significant other spent the night at their place. Plus, they’ve also shared with you openly that their relationship is sexual in nature. One day while having a conversation with your friend you tell them, “Listen, there’s something that I want to talk to you about.  I’m concerned about you sleeping with _______.  The Bible says that fornicators will not inherit the Kingdom of God and I’m concerned that you are going down a road that you are going to regret.” Your friend interrupts you and says, “Wait, who are you to judge me!  Doesn’t the Bible say, ‘Don’t judge?’” Question:  Is you telling your friend that fornication is wrong considered as judging according to the Bible? The “Don’t Judge” Excuse The “Don’t Judge” excuse is something that is...

Text: Genesis 2:15-3:24, Romans 3:23, Isaiah 64:6-7, Ephesians 2:1-3, Romans 1:18-32, Romans 6:23a My kids love balloons. Love them. And since becoming a parent, I have learned to despise them. Lucky for them (and unlucky for me), the grocery store nearest our house rewards each child who rolls past the checkout lane with a balloon for their excellent (or terrible) behavior. I have two children, and inevitably, one balloon always makes a break for it in the parking lot. Somewhere between the automatic sliding doors and me buckling car seats and keeping eggs from being crushed, one – only one – will see its moment and slip free, its tail waving goodbye and good luck to me as it disappears into the sky. Good luck indeed.  One child is devastated, and one is delighted. And then? They turn on each other. Greed overcomes them, all they can think about is the one thing they cannot have, and by the time we pull into the driveway (four minutes later), fists have been wielded, cruel words h...

Text: Genesis 2:15-3:24, Romans 3:23, Isaiah 64:6-7, Ephesians 2:1-3, Romans 1:18-32, Romans 6:23a My kids love balloons. Love them. And since becoming a parent, I have learned to despise them. Lucky for them (and unlucky for me), the grocery store nearest our house rewards each child who rolls past the checkout lane with a balloon for their excellent (or terrible) behavior. I have two children, and inevitably, one balloon always makes a break for it in the parking lot. Somewhere between the automatic sliding doors and me buckling car seats and keeping eggs from being crushed, one – only one – will see its moment and slip free, its tail waving goodbye and good luck to me as it disappears into the sky. Good luck indeed.  One child is devastated, and one is delighted. And then? They turn on each other. Greed overcomes them, all they can think about is the one thing they cannot have, and by the time we pull into the driveway (four minutes later), fists have been wielded, cruel words h...

Luke 15:22–23 22“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; What would you say if your son, whom you had given a large inheritance to, came crawling home one day after wasting all his money on riotous living? In the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11–24), the father did not say one word about loss or waste, though his son had indeed wasted his inheritance on riotous living. The father only saw his son’s homecoming as an opportunity to show him how much he loved him and to restore to him what he had lost. Like the father in the parable, it is your heavenly Father’s desire to embrace you and show you how much you are loved. And it is His good pleasure to restore to you what you have lost. A119 Perhaps you have lost something recently, or you are frustrated that something has gone to waste due to a bad decision...

We develop spiritual fitness when we meet regularly and encourage one another. When you get together with other believers regularly, this is called fellowship -- sharing and caring together in a small group. Do you ever need encouragement? Life can be tough, and we all get discouraged. The fact is you're never going to be an effective Christian if you try to go it alone. You need other people. Snowflakes are frail, but if enough of them stick together they can stop traffic. You can't do a whole lot and I can't do a whole lot, but together in a group we can do something. We can have an impact on this world. In fact, we need to be in constant contact with other Christians. You need more than just a "Sunday fix.' Every Christian needs a balance between large group celebration/worship and small group fellowship. You need a big group, but you can't share prayer requests within a large group; you can't pray for each other; you can't even know everybod...

There’s something I’ve been praying about. The church where I serve as pastor needs a part-time worship leader. Our present leader has served us well, but his schedule is changing and he plans to step down. So, of course, I’ve been networking, calling, posting on church employment sites — and praying. So far, God has not provided — and the problem is that I need him to provide soon . I can hear the clock ticking. The deadline is approaching. What are we going to do without a worship leader? Yes, I’m starting to worry. So How Should I Pray? I could just keep praying, “Father, please provide us with a new worship leader” — and leave it at that. But the Bible shows us more. You’ll notice that the psalmists often ask God to hurry. This is all throughout the Psalms: But you, O Lᴏʀᴅ, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid! (Psalm 22:19) Make haste to help me, O Lᴏʀᴅ, my salvation! (Psalm 38:22) Be pleased, O Lᴏʀᴅ, to deliver me! O Lᴏʀᴅ, make haste to help me! (Psalm 40:13) ...

They had come to retrieve their oldest brother, Samson, who’s broken body still lay somewhere in the rubble. No Philistine had dared touch the cursed corpse of the man who with the strength of a god had brought the temple crashing down, taking more than a thousand of his mockers with him into the dark land. When the brothers neared the ruins, they stopped to rest, and to muster some courage. Removing the body would be risking violent retribution from grieving Philistines. Why Mighty Samson’s Life Ended in a Collapse Nadir, the younger of the two, broke the silence. “Did you ever think it would end like this?” Abijah, seven years older, gulped down some water and handed the skin to Nadir. He answered, “I used to think he was invincible. I can still see him describing how he killed the lion barehanded. I was fifteen and almost worshiped him. So strong, so fearless. And God was with him. This would have been inconceivable,” nodding toward wreckage, “Samson dying blind in the house of Dago...