Of little Faith.

You can be as stubborn as you want, but that will not get you anywhere. God has given us Jesus and through Him there is peace and happiness.
 

Mark chapter 9 verses 22 to 24.

"The demon often makes him fall into the fire or into water to kill him. Oh, have mercy on us and do something if You can."

 "If I can?" Jesus asked. "Anything is possible if you have faith." The father instantly replied, "I do have faith; oh, help me to have more!"  

What is the difference between anger, hatred and frustration? All of them rob us of our joy and interrupt our peace. Have you ever held onto a grudge that is fuelled by emotions? 

   Maybe someone hurt you as a child and the thoughts are with you always. Maybe you were turned down for a job that you felt you deserved. Maybe you felt love and it has been taken from you. Maybe someone said something that you did not agree with and you have decided to dismiss that person from your life. 

   Galatians chapter 5 tells us that when the Holy Spirit controls our lives He will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 

   It took me a long time to overcome my old ways. Most of them I did not even realize I was doing. If you have ever doubted that the Holy Spirit is inside you, do not doubt any longer. You have come into life with God and He has brought Jesus into your life. You worship Him, sing songs of praise to Him and seek Him out every morning and all day long. 

   We are humans living in a world that is constantly challenging us and trying it's best to take us away from our faith. Our old ways were left behind when we came before God seeking His grace and mercies. So when tormented, listen to that small voice inside and let the strength of God show you the foundation upon which you can stand.

   It takes trust and faith. You came to God seeking His help and He amazed you with the things He did. It was through what He did for you that your faith grew and your trust was strengthened. That does not mean our human emotions have gone away. In fact it is by those emotions that we can grow in our faith and trust God to be there with us. Especially in dealing with others. 

   Have you found yourself being more patient and quicker to forgive? Have you found yourself doing things that you never thought would have been done by you? Have you said hello to someone that you had given up speaking to because of a disagreement? The Holy Spirit does make us aware of righteousness and that will leave you filled with awe and praise. 

   In 2 Corinthians chapter 12 verse 9, Paul says, "Now I am glad to boast how weak I am; I am glad to be a living demonstration of Christ's power, instead of showing off my own power and abilities." 

   In 2 Samuel chapter 13, we read about Absalom, King David's son, who had a sister named Tamar. It turns out that Absalom's brother Amon was 'head over heals' about this girl and in wanting her, he raped her. Doing this ended up causing a lot of pain and grief to many. It was 2 years later that Absalom got revenge by killing his brother and it was many more years before forgiveness was thought of. 

   Stories like this are not uncommon. They may not be as dramatic, but every day stuff happens that affect our lives. We have opinions, we make judgements, we try our best to get along, but that does not stop the wrong words from spilling out of us. 

   The more you trust in God, the more you seek after Him; the more you will be one step closer to an astonishing moment of God's hand upon your life. The word's "act like Jesus," can happen, you just need to watch for them and give thanks for the change to you.

   When times are tough, it seems like the rich get richer and the struggles to maintain what we have become harder to hold onto. Ask yourself what your priorities are? 

   We are to work hard and to be representatives of our beliefs. If you are going to let the troubles weigh heavy upon you then you will be seen by others as just that, someone who has been torn and beaten down, unable to help themselves. 

   Yes, poverty is a possibility for everyone but if you are someone who gets up and goes out and seeks after work then you will find it and it will help you. If you ask God to go with you then you will be  strengthened by His amazing power. 

   Never lose faith in God's abilities. Hold close to Him and you will be the one who finds life. It may not be exactly as you thought it might be, but you will be living in His presence, with your eyes upon Him.

   In Mark chapter 8, Jesus talks about following Him. "If any of you want to be My follower, you must put aside your own pleasures and shoulder your cross, and follow Me closely. If you insist on saving your life, you will lose it. Only those who throw away their lives for My sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live." 

   Gulp! Giving up control over all you do to Jesus and trusting in God, is probably one of the hardest things you will ever do; Or maybe it is not that hard at all.

   Everyday and forever you will be expected by God to live accordingly. He knows we are human and that we do suffer from temptation and our own desires, but if you try hard you can know what His expectations are and be prepared to abide by them.

   His expectations are not meant to be scary, they are a good way to live, free from trusting in yourself, which up to this point has given you nothing but grief. God will show you the directions you need and you need to believe that He can help. And when see that He has helped you, your thankful heart will be overwhelmed with praise.

  You will be left in awe, wondering how it is possible for goodness to be there from an unseen source? Your only answer will be that God is real, and He has lived up to His promise of Jesus coming into your life and that it is only by His Holy Spirit living in you that you have succeeded and overcome. Leaving you filled with the overwhelming joy of God's love for you. 

   Thank You Father for Jesus. Thank You for hearing the prayers of your lost child and with open arms You welcome him home. 😊  

1 John chapter 1 verses 5-7.

This is the message God has given us to pass on to you: that God is Light and in Him is no darkness at all. So if we say we are His friends, but go on living in spiritual darkness and sin, we are lying. But if we are living in the light of God's presence, just as Christ does, then we have wonderful fellowship and joy with each other, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from every sin.       

2 Timothy chapter 3 verses 16 and 17.

The whole Bible was given to us by inspiration from God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives; it straightens us out and helps us do what is right. It is God's way of making us well prepared at every point, fully equipped to do good to everyone. 

Proverbs chapter 16 verse 32.

It is better to be slow-tempered than famous; it is better to have self-control than to control an army.