Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! May you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and a year filled with blessings. 

 Give thanks not just on Thanksgiving Day, but every day of your life. Appreciate and never take for granted all that you have.”

– Katherine Pulsifer 

287790B8-8BEC-4ECC-96B5-CDD478F84EDC

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

Melody Beattie 

This Thanksgiving, as author of He Knows Your Name, I’d like to express my gratitude to all of my readers and supporters. I truly appreciate you. May God bless you abundantly. 

I thank my God every time I remember you.”

– Philippians 1:3 NIV

Dear Lord Jesus, Thank You for loving us so much that You were willing to pay the ultimate price of Your life on the cross for our Salvation. Thank You for giving us life and everything else You bless us with daily. Amen. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! May you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and a year filled with blessings. 

 Give thanks not just on Thanksgiving Day, but every day of your life. Appreciate and never take for granted all that you have.”

– Katherine Pulsifer 

287790B8-8BEC-4ECC-96B5-CDD478F84EDC

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

Melody Beattie 

This Thanksgiving, as author of He Knows Your Name, I’d like to express my gratitude to all of my readers and supporters. I truly appreciate you. May God bless you abundantly. 

I thank my God every time I remember you.”

– Philippians 1:3 NIV

Dear Lord Jesus, Thank You for loving us so much that You were willing to pay the ultimate price of Your life on the cross for our Salvation. Thank You for giving us life and everything else You bless us with daily. Amen. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! May you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and a year filled with blessings. 

 Give thanks not just on Thanksgiving Day, but every day of your life. Appreciate and never take for granted all that you have.”

– Katherine Pulsifer 

287790B8-8BEC-4ECC-96B5-CDD478F84EDC

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

Melody Beattie 

This Thanksgiving, as author of He Knows Your Name, I’d like to express my gratitude to all of my readers and supporters. I truly appreciate you. May God bless you abundantly. 

I thank my God every time I remember you.”

– Philippians 1:3 NIV

Dear Lord Jesus, Thank You for loving us so much that You were willing to pay the ultimate price of Your life on the cross for our Salvation. Thank You for giving us life and everything else You bless us with daily. Amen. 

Promise Keeper

“Way maker
Miracle worker
Promise keeper
Light in the darkness
My God
That is who you are…”

This is an excerpt of the lyrics from the song, “Way Maker,” by Osinachi Okoro. I love this song. It reminds us of God’s faithfulness.

I for blog sarah MG-0047.JPG“And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.”
‭‭-Hebrews‬ ‭11:11-12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In Genesis 12, God made a promise to Abraham and to Sarah through Abraham.
“The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.” -Genesis‬ ‭12:1-2‬ ‭NIV‬‬ Years later, God confirmed His promise to Sarah. When this happened, Sarah laughed in doubt. Genesis‬ ‭18:13-14‬ ‭NIV‬‬ says, “Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”” Even though Sarah laughed in doubt, God still kept His promise to her and Abraham. Like Sarah, sometimes we struggle with doubt.

God is still faithful!

No matter what we think or feel,

God is still faithful!

No matter what the circumstances are,

 God is still faithful!

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who

 promised is faithful.”

‭- Hebrews‬ ‭10:23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

If God was faithful in His greatest promise: to make a way for us to receive Salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ, then we can be confident that He will keep the rest of His promises.

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for always keeping Your promises. In the midst of our doubts, please help us to have faith in You and Your faithfulness. Amen.

¿De Dónde Viene la Fe?

¿Alguien te ha dicho alguna vez, “solo necesitas tener fe, las cosas saldrán bien”? ¿Cuál fue su respuesta inmediata? Tal vez pensaste: “Ojalá fuera así de fácil”. O lo ignoraste pensando: “la fe no es para todos”. Tal vez pensaste “por qué algunas personas confían tanto en su fe, mientras que otras se están ahogando en dudas y temores?” ¿De dónde viene la fe?

IMG_9209-1

“Así que la fe viene como resultado de oír el mensaje, y el mensaje que se oye es la palabra de Cristo.”

 – Romanos 10:17 NVI

Romanos 10:17 NVI nos dice que “la fe viene como resultado de oír el mensaje, y el mensaje que se oye es la palabra de Cristo.” Para tener fe, debemos escuchar el mensaje del amor de Dios a través de la palabra de Dios acerca de la esperanza que tenemos en Cristo. ¿Si nuestra fe está disminuyendo, tal vez no estamos leyendo la Palabra de Dios y / o buscándolo diariamente en oración? ¿Si nos falta fe, tal vez estamos cerrando nuestros oídos al mensaje de Dios? ¿Quizás hemos cerrado nuestros corazones al amor de Cristo? ¿O estamos permitiendo que las distracciones en nuestras vidas quiten nuestros ojos de Jesúcristo?

Querido Señor Jesúcristo, elimina cualquier obstáculo que pueda estar impidiendo que nosotros o nuestros seres queridos vengamos a Ti, escuchemos Tu mensaje y crezcamos en la fe. Amén.

 

Publicado en 11 de octubre de 2019   

Published in English on October 11, 2019     

Click on the date to read this post in English.

Where Does Faith Come From?

Has anyone ever told you, “just have faith, things will work out”? What was your immediate response? Maybe you thought, “I wish it was that easy.” Or, you brushed it off, thinking: “faith isn’t for everyone.” Perhaps, you thought “why are some people so confident in their faith, while others are drowning in doubts and fears? Where does faith come from?”

IMG_9209-1 “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.”

 – Romans 10:17 NIV

Romans 10:17 NIV tells us that “faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” To have faith, we must hear the message of God’s love through God’s word about the hope we have in Christ. If our faith is dwindling, then perhaps we are not reading God’s Word and/or seeking Him in prayer daily? If we are lacking in faith, then perhaps we are closing our ears to God’s message? Maybe we have closed our hearts to the love of Christ? Or we are allowing the distractions in our lives to take our eyes off of Jesus?

Dear Lord Jesus, please remove any obstacles that might be preventing us or our loved ones from coming to You, hearing Your message, and growing in faith. Amen.

¿Quieres Tener una Fe Duradera?

¿Quieres tener una fe que todavía habla incluso después de que estás muerto?

IMG_8020“Por la fe, Abel ofreció a Dios un sacrificio más aceptable que el de Caín, y por eso fue reconocido como un hombre justo, y Dios aceptó con agrado sus ofrendas. Y aunque Abel está muerto, todavía habla por medio de su fe.” 

-Hebreos 11:4 RVC

Tener una fe perdurable implica tener un corazón que está dispuesto a entregar su todo a Cristo. Romanos 12:1 RVC dice: “Así que, hermanos, yo les ruego, por las misericordias de Dios, que se presenten ustedes mismos como un sacrificio vivo, santo y agradable a Dios. ¡Así es como se debe adorar a Dios!”

“Después dio a luz a Abel, hermano de Caín. Abel era pastor de ovejas, y Caín cultivaba la tierra. Andando el tiempo, sucedió que Caín llevó al Señor una ofrenda del fruto de la tierra. Y Abel también llevó algunos de los primogénitos de sus ovejas, de los mejores entre ellas. Y el Señor miró con agrado a Abel y a su ofrenda, pero no miró con agrado a Caín ni a su ofrenda. Y Caín se enojó mucho, y decayó su semblante. Entonces el Señor le dijo a Caín:

«¿Por qué estás enojado? ¿Por qué ha decaído tu semblante? 7 Si haces lo bueno, ¿acaso no serás enaltecido? Pero, si no lo haces, el pecado está listo para dominarte. Sin embargo, su deseo lo llevará a ti, y tú lo dominarás.»”  -Génesis 4: 2-7 RVC

 ¿Alguna vez te has preguntado por qué Dios estaba complacido con la ofrenda de Abel y no con la de Caín? Hay cuatro puntos de vista sobre por qué la oferta de Caín se consideró inaceptable. En aras de la brevedad, discutiré los tres que encontre más plausibles.

  1. No fue un sacrificio de sangre

Sacrificios en el Antiguo Testamento presagiaron el gran sacrificio que Cristo haría para salvarnos en el Nuevo Testamento. Esto habría significado que Caín habría necesitado humildemente cambiar sus frutos por un cordero.

  1. No fueron los primeros frutos de Caín

Cuando venimos a Dios en adoración, debemos traerle lo mejor de nosotros, nuestros primeros frutos. Proverbios 3: 9 RVC dice: “Honra al Señor con tus bienes y con las primicias de tus cosechas.”

  1. Caín tenía la actitud equivocada

Cuando venimos al altar de Dios, no solo debemos venir con una actitud de obediencia, pero también con un corazón arrepentido y lleno de perdon.

  • “Samuel le contestó: «¿Y crees que al Señor le gustan tus holocaustos y ofrendas más que la obediencia a sus palabras? Entiende que obedecer al Señor es mejor que ofrecerle sacrificios, y que escucharlo con atención es mejor que ofrecerle la grasa de los carneros.” -1 Samuel 15:22 RVC
  •  “Al Señor le agrada que se le hagan ofrendas, pero más le agrada que se haga justicia.” -Proverbios 21: 3 RVC
  •  “ Por tanto, si traes tu ofrenda al altar, y allí te acuerdas de que tu hermano tiene algo contra ti, deja allí tu ofrenda delante del altar, y ve y reconcíliate primero con tu hermano, y después de eso vuelve y presenta tu ofrenda.” -Mateo 5: 23-24 RVC

Querido Señor Jescristo, gracias por Tu infinito amor y misericordia. Ayúdanos a complacerte con nuestra adoración y tener una fe eterna, que testifique de Tu amor. Amén.

Do You Want Enduring Faith?

Do you want to have a faith that still speaks even after you are dead?

IMG_8020

“By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.”

Hebrews‬ ‭11:4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Having an enduring faith involves having a heart that is willing to surrender your all to Christ. Romans 12:1 NIV says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God–this is your true and proper worship.” – Romans 12:1 NIV

“Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

 ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭4:2-7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Have you ever wondered why God was pleased with Abel’s offering and not Cain’s? There are four views as to why Cain’s offering was found unacceptable. For the sake of brevity, I will discuss the three I find most plausible.

Not a blood sacrifice.                                                                                                                                Sacrifices in the Old Testament foreshadowed the ultimate sacrifice Christ would make to save us in the New Testament. This would have meant Cain would have humbly needed to exchange his fruits for a lamb.

Not Cain’s firstfruits.

When we come to God in worship we are to bring Him our very best— our firstfruits. ‭‭         Proverbs‬ ‭3:9‬ ‭NIV‬‬ says, “Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops;”

Cain had the wrong attitude.

When we come to God’s altar we must come with not only an attitude of obedience but also a repentant and forgiving heart.

  • “But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” -1 Samuel‬ ‭15:22‬ ‭NIV‬‬
  •  “To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.” -Proverbs‬ ‭21:3‬ ‭NIV‬‬
  •  “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.” -Matthew‬ ‭5:23-24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for your infinite love and mercy. Please help us to please You with our worship and have an eternal faith, that testifies of Your love. Amen.

¿Por Qué Tener Fe?

¿Por qué tener fe? ¿Por qué es tan importante la fe? Tal vez has estado viendo todas estas publicaciones de mi blog y te has preguntado, “¿por qué está haciendo tanto alboroto por la fe?” ¿Es realmente tan importante la fe? ¿No hay toneladas de otros temas más interesantes?

A lo largo de esta serie de blogs, el valor de tener fe se ha revelado tantas veces. Sin embargo, la entrada de hoy se centra en un hombre en particular en la Biblia, cuya fe agradó a Dios tanto que fue recompensado con no experimentar la muerte.

Enoch: Why have Faith?

“Vivió Enoc sesenta y cinco años, y engendró a Matusalén. Y caminó Enoc con Dios, después que engendró a Matusalén, trescientos años, y engendró hijos e hijas. Y fueron todos los días de Enoc trescientos sesenta y cinco años. Caminó, pues, Enoc con Dios, y desapareció, porque le llevó Dios.”- Génesis 5: 21-24 RVR 1960

Note como dos veces, menciona que“ Enoc caminó fielmente ”. Hebreos 11 también hace referencia a la fe de Enoc.

“Por la fe Enoc fue traspuesto para no ver muerte, y no fue hallado, porque lo traspuso Dios; y antes que fuese traspuesto, tuvo testimonio de haber agradado a Dios.“- Hebreos 11: 5 RVR 1960

Tener fe agrada a Dios. De hecho, la palabra de Dios dice que “sin fe es imposible agradar a Dios”. Enoc tenía una gran fe y fue elogiado por eso.

“Pero sin fe es imposible agradar a Dios; porque es necesario que el que se acerca a Dios crea que le hay, y que es galardonador de los que le buscan.” 

– Hebreos 11: 6 RVR 1960

En el Nuevo Testamento, Jesús les dice a sus discípulos que los futuros creyentes serían / ​​serán bendecidos porque creyeron / creerán en Él sin verlo. “Jesús le dijo: Porque me has visto, Tomás, creíste; bienaventurados los que no vieron, y creyeron.” – Juan 20:29 RVR 1960 Tener fe es importante porque agrada a Dios y trae bendiciones de Dios.

Querido Señor Jesucristo, gracias por tus hermosas promesas de bendiciones. Por favor, ayuda la persona que esté luchando con su fe a fortalecer su fe y saber con confianza que está con ellos y que los ama. Por favor, ayúdanos a buscarte fervientemente y caminar en fe todos los días. Amén.

 

Publicado en Ingles el 18 de julio de 2019 

Published in English on  July 18, 2019

Why Have Faith?

Why have Faith? Why is faith so important? Maybe you’ve been seeing all of these blog posts, and wondering, “why is she making such a big deal about faith?” Is faith really that important? Aren’t there tons of other more interesting topics?

Throughout this blog series, the value of having faith has been revealed so many times. However, today’s entry focuses on a particular man in the Bible, who’s faith pleased God so greatly that he was rewarded by not experiencing death.

Enoch: Why have Faith?

When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah.  After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters.  Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years.  Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.”  – Genesis 5:21-24 NIV 

Notice how twice, it mentions that “Enoch walked faithfully.” Hebrews 11 also makes reference to Enoch’s faith.

“By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.” – Hebrews 11:5

Having faith pleases God. In fact, God’s word says that “without faith it is impossible to please God.” Enoch had great faith and he was commended for that.

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.” 

– Hebrews 11:6

In the New Testament, Jesus tells His disciples that the future believers would/will be blessed because they believed/will believe in Him without seeing him. “Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”” – John 20:29  Having faith is important because it pleases God and brings blessings from God.

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for Your beautiful promises of blessings. Please help anyone who is struggling with their faith to strengthen their faith and confidently know that You are with them and that You love them. Please help us to seek You earnestly and walk in faith daily. Amen.