I will share about Christian books I have read or listened to.
I will be sharing about my life before and after Christ. I will include stories about my pet and other pets I have encountered.
Fight Fear and Hold Fast
It seems there’s always something to worry about: natural disasters, current (and potential) wars, shaky finances, relational brokenness, unmet expectations, political, cultural, or racial divisions, senseless violence, our kids, our jobs, our health, and more—much more. But many of the things we fear are largely out of our control.
We can’t always control what happens to us, but we can choose our response.
You can constantly be worried, negative, anxious, fearful, critical, and bitter. Or, you can be known for seeing the good in people, choosing joy, offering encouragement, looking for God’s fingerprints, and always finding something to be grateful for. In either case, the cycle feeds itself.
Like hummingbirds are attracted to sweet things while vultures scour the earth for dead things, we will always find what we are looking for. Why? Because darkness and light both exist. Good and evil are everyday realities. And we must decide who we’ll trust, and how we’ll spend our lives.
There are plenty of scary things happening in the world, but—because of Jesus—there is always good.
Even on our darkest days, Jesus is the light of the world. He’s already carrying the weight of the world on His shoulders, which means we don’t have to. He has already made a way where there was no way, which means we can follow the path He has blazed. The Holy Spirit is already compelling us and leading us and teaching us and comforting us, which means we’re not alone.
The hope we have in Christ isn’t just wishful thinking or positive vibes. It's hope that’s based on truth—on facts and faith.
So what can we do? The Bible says:
“Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.”
Proverbs 12:25 NIV
We can fight anxiousness with hope.
We can ward off worry with truth-filled encouragement.
We can resist fear by offering life-giving words.
We can refuse to settle for living scared.
We can expose the darkness to light.
So the next time you feel anxiety and fear weighing down your heart, ask God for help and encouragement. Remember, He is with you always.
“After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judæa; and there he tarried with them, and baptized. And John also was baptizing in Ænon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized. For John was not yet cast into prison. Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying. And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him. John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease. He that cometh from above is above all:...
“In the year that Tartan came unto Ashdod, (when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him,) and fought against Ashdod, and took it; at the same time spake the LORD by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot. And the LORD said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia; so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt. And they shall be afraid and ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation, and of Egypt their glory. And the inhabitant of this isle shall say in that day, Behold, such is our expectation, whither we flee for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria: and how shall we escape?”
Isaiah 20:1-6 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/isa.20.1-6.KJV
Justified by Faith
Paul, the writer of the letter to the church in Rome, covers the details of what is known as “the Gospel message”—a message that was handed down to them. It's packed with deep theological truths that are meant to shape the way Christians live.
One of the central components to the Gospel is that salvation comes through faith alone. That means we are saved by the power of God through believing and trusting in Jesus. Every Christian comes to God through faith—not through good deeds or by trying to earn salvation.
Paul says that we have peace with God by our faith in Jesus. Prior to that, we were considered ungodly and unrighteous—because we would live our lives in our own power, doing our own things. This led to separation from God.
However, by faith in Jesus, we are justified before Him. This means that through Jesus’ own right-living, we are made right before Him. Even though we still make mistakes, we can stand innocent before God because of Jesus.
It’s ...
