Rhythm of Faith

At some point we all think about what we have. We also tend to think about what we don’t have; the list of “don’t haves” is most likely as long, if not longer, than what we have. This isn’t exactly a bad thing unless our thinking drives us to the point of materialism. Dictionary.com defines materialism as a "preoccupation with or emphasis on material objects, comforts, and considerations, with a disinterest in or rejection of spiritual, intellectual, or cultural values." New Oxford English Dictionary defines materialism as " a tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfort as more important than Spiritual values" .This definition highlights the struggle we all face with the relationship between physical and spiritual things. We often feel as though we have to choose one or the other. Thankfully, to avoid materialism, we don’t have to. Abandoning materialism happens when we acknowledge God as the source of all that we have and work to manage what we...

It was just a little white lie. Really? Is there such a thing? Some lies hold bigger consequences than others, but a lie is a lie. What about a half-truth? Well, isn't a half-truth really a lie? After all, you really don't know which half you are getting. Some people think that lying is OK as long as it doesn't hurt anyone or it is OK as long as it helps someone. This is the very trap of lying. People deceive themselves into only thinking about the moment and don't give much thought as to how that lie can snowball into a bigger problem.  The bible says God hates and cannot tolerate liars! I don't know about you but i want my life to be pleasing to God. I want to be one of the reasons He has a smile on His face. I want Him to look down from heaven and be happy He created me.  Lies i have realized are very tempting, it saves us stress,helps to save the situation,saves us from the possible consequences of the truth,gets us out of trouble. Its always a quick fix but as ...

At this, Daniel, who is also called Belteshazzar, was so alarmed that he could not say anything. The king said to him, “Belteshazzar, don't let the dream and its message alarm you.” Belteshazzar replied, “Your Majesty, I wish that the dream and its explanation applied to your enemies and not to you. (Daniel 4:19 GNB It took great courage for Daniel to stand up to the king because he could have been killed for telling the truth. Daniel stood up to the king and confronted him about his sin. Confrontations are not easy for many people. In fact, most people fall into two extremes when it comes to confronting those who are doing wrong. They’re either unwilling to confront, or their confrontation comes across as unloving. There’s probably someone in your life you need to confront about their wrongdoing. Maybe it’s a person at work that claims Christ, but curses all the time, tells dirty jokes, or looks lustfully at women. Maybe it’s a kid at your school who goes to youth group, but parti...

King Belshazzar, you knew all this, but you still refused to honour the Lord who rules from heaven. The words written there are mene, which means “numbered”, tekel, which means “weighed”, and parsin, which means “divided”. God has numbered the days of your kingdom and has brought it to an end. He has weighed you on his balance scales, and you fall short of what it takes to be king. So God has divided your kingdom between the Medes and the Persians. (Daniel 5:22, 25-28 CEVUK00) Belshazzar didn’t learn from the mistakes of his father. Instead of standing for God like Nebuchadnezzar did in the later days of his life, Belshazzar decided to stand for himself and his own pride. He put himself and other idols before God. Belshazzar was measured by God and came up short. Over time, Belshazzar loosened his standards to the point where he didn’t think twice about defaming God’s people by using their goblets. What do you stand for? In today’s culture it seems more people stand for the wrong thing...

From the story of Daniel At that, the king flew into a rage and ordered the three men to be brought before him. He said to them, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, is it true that you refuse to worship my god and to bow down to the gold statue I have set up? Now then, as soon as you hear the sound of the trumpets, oboes, lyres, zithers, harps, and all the other instruments, bow down and worship the statue. If you do not, you will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace. Do you think there is any god who can save you?” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered, “Your Majesty, we will not try to defend ourselves. If the God whom we serve is able to save us from the blazing furnace and from your power, then he will. But even if he doesn't, Your Majesty may be sure that we will not worship your god, and we will not bow down to the gold statue that you have set up.” (Daniel 3:13-18 GNB) The faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego was so deeply rooted in God that it enabled them to b...

        No matter what difficult situation you may be facing today, God can turn it around! The doctors may have told you there's no hope. Your bank account may be empty and the creditors  knocking on the door. There may be trouble in your family or on your job. You may have a loved one in prison. Your problems may be stacked so high, you feel like you can never overcome them. But don't let the devil fool you! He has never devised a problem that faith in God can't fix! Nothing intimidates God! Its just as easy for God to heal a cancer as it is for Him to heal a headache. It is as easy for Him to buy you a new home as it is for Him to pay your rent. Think about that! If you'll dare to believe  God's word, you can have light in the midst of a dark world. You can have protection in the midst of a   d angerous world.  You can live healed in the midst of a sick world. You can live  prosperous in the midst of an  impoverished  world. You ...

If you want to Rob persecution of every last scrap of its power, adopt the attitude Paul had in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18. He wasn't concerned about the pressure he was experiencing down here on earth. And, believe me, he was under tremendous pressure. He'd probably  laugh  at us talking about persecution these days, we've had so little of it. Paul's thoughts weren't centered on his natural life. He was thinking about the eternal weight of Glory. He was looking ahead to spending eternity in the presence of Jes u s . So he didn't grow weary, he didn't faint under persecutions, tribulations or threats. In fact, in Acts 20:24 he said,  "None of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy." Once you adopt that attitude, the devil won't be able to control you at all. He won't be able to find any persecution that will stop you. You'll have your eyes so fixed on running your race and fi...

The   submissive bride :We   are the bride  of Christ. What does it mean to be submissive? It means to always be willing to obey someone. The bible tells us that wives MU S T submit to their husbands so that your conduct would win over your husband to believe in Christ. A few weeks back, on my way home from work, I got into a bus and just as the  vehicle  was about to  move a woman started preaching , she didn't exactly have any topic or focus area, but among the many things she said I got this; "we are the bride of Christ and we must be submissive." it got me thinking, the bible says wives must be submissive and husban d s must love their wives , Christ obviously loves me but am I doing enough as a bride of Christ? We all as Christians make up "The Bride" so perhaps I'm one of the fingers  or  one of the arms   that make up "The Bride"  am I functioning properly on the bride or am I a broken arm or an infected finger ( the eff ect s o f...

Please read Daniel chapter 1  for better understanding  We live in a world that’s much like Daniel’s, where culture is trying to train our minds to think, behave, and believe like the rest of the world. It trains us to lower our standards. However, you can’t live passively as a follower of Christ in today’s world. You need to take a stand like Daniel did. The world calls you to blend in. Daniel and his friends could have blended in with the rest of the young Israelites, but if they had done so, nothing historic would have happened. God can and will use you like Daniel, but only if you take a stand and stand out from the rest of the world. Those who have the courage to stand out inspire others. Why spend your life trying to fit in when you were born to stand out? Wouldn’t you rather be remembered for standing out than forgotten for blending in? Daniel didn’t go before the king begging and pleading with him to spare his life, but rather he stood before the king with boldness and...