I Believe in God

Genesis 1:1a (NIV) ^1aIn the beginning God...

Exodus 20: 2a, 3 (NIV) ^2aI am the LORD your God... ³You shall have no other gods before me.

Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) ⁶And 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.

“I believe in God.”

In a recent conversation with someone, a precious family member, who held faith in God as a child, but has since chosen other beliefs; I mentioned what is known as Pascal’s Wager which begins (forgive the oversimplification) with the simple choice of belief in God or disbelief in God. His response quite frankly floored me and I didn’t know how to handle it then. The young man told me that Pascal’s Wager was fine except that there were not two choices, there were many choices (e.g., Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, Judaism, atheism, deism, pantheism, etc.). After that response I spent weeks, months, in sincere contemplation and Bible study; and what I discovered – and what I wished I had been able to express then – was this:

Pascal’s Wager holds true because there are only TWO choices... (A) Belief in God  -OR- (B) Belief in something that is not God – whatever that might be. Plenty of other options may exist... but they are still ‘not God’!

Deuteronomy 6:4 (NIV) ⁴The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

“I believe in God.”

I am reminded of an old camp song we sang at youth camp ages ago: “I believe in the sun, even when it isn’t shining. I believe in God, even when there’s no one there. I believe in God, yes, I believe in God, even when He is silent.”

 

Dear Lord God, my Heavenly Father;

I believe in You. I can’t see you, but I know in my heart that you exist, and that you see me, hear me, and you know my thoughts and what is on my heart. My choice is clear: I believe in God. My prayer is now for others to understand how clear that choice is... belief in You alone... or else nothing matters. There is no other choice that will bring lasting fellowship with You for all eternity. Yes, I believe in You, Lord God, my Heavenly Father.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

The devotional  I Believe in God appeared first on Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version^®, NIV^®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.^® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

My Testimony

Isaiah 7:9 (NIV) ⁹If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.

I was born into an Advent Christian family in Massachusetts, we moved to Florida when I was five, and I was raised in and Advent Christian Church in Clearwater, FL. I was blessed to marry a wonderful Advent Christian man from Clovis, NM, and for years I was a member of the Advent Christian Church of Clovis, NM. Traditionally, Advent Christians hold to the belief of No Creed but the Bible. That’s fine and it works well as long as your Bible isn’t on a shelf somewhere collecting dust. To all my Advent Christian friends and family: I challenge you to find your Bible, dust it off, and start using it! Daily!

The Advent Christian Church of Clovis, NM no longer exists. After a local church burned beyond repair, the few handful left at our church felt led to turn our large facility over to that congregation – filling their need and ensuring that the building we loved but could no longer fill would remain dedicated to God’s service and glory. It was the hardest decision, but the clearest decision to make. They had people but no building; we had a building with approximately a dozen people. The few handful of our remaining congregation have since drifted off to join various other denominations. I currently attend a Global Methodist Church, and although my husband and I will remain Advent Christians at heart for the rest of our foreseeable lives; we feel quite at home in the Global Methodist church. We sing in  the choir, attend regularly and support with our tithes and offerings.

Our church – my church – a Global Methodist church – includes the Apostles Creed each Sunday. And occasionally, as we are currently doing, we recite the Nicene Creed, which is a bit longer with more details. A quick search online can provide all the details you need for a comparison of the two creeds and I will not reprint them in length. Reciting either the Apostles Creed or the Nicene Creed each week is fine and works well, as long as you mean each word you speak and do not allow the temptation for it to become rote, repetitious, robotic. To all my Global Methodist friends and family: I challenge you to find your Bible, dust it off, and start using it! Daily! When you recite each phrase of any creed; know the words you are using, understand the meaning of what you are saying, and renew your commitment with each phrase you speak.

Paul Harvey included the words ‘and now you know the rest of the story’ in his radio broadcasts even before his show by that title premiered in 1976. I have given you my testimony thus far, but now here is the rest of it.

Yesterday afternoon in a conversation with our eldest son, he said something I will long remember. He told his dad and I that he wasn’t quite sure what was happening to our Nation. He said, “Something’s not quite right. Something seems, I don’t know... ‘broken’.” Yes, son, on many levels our Nation has become ‘broken’ and generations have led to its brokenness. In large part because we have forgotten who we are as a Nation, the values we once held as a Nation, and our courage to stand strong in our faith has weakened.

Isaiah 7:9 (NIV) ⁹If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.

So I ask you, dear Readers:  What do you believe? Prove it!

During the entire month of November, my heart has made it clear what I will write about. It will be my testimony. I will use the foundation of the Apostles and Nicene creeds that I recite each week, break them down into phrases, provide support from the pages of my Bible to tell you not only what I believe, but also why I believe it. My hope and prayer is that it will in some way encourage you to renew your own commitment to follow Jesus Christ, and renew your faith in God. Our Nation needs Christians with courage to be the stronghold of faith in God, to be the light  of Christ for others to follow, to be the source of help for the brokenness we see all around us.

Isaiah 7:9 (NIV) ⁹If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.

 

Dear Lord God, my Heavenly Father;

I pray for wisdom and courage as I embark upon writing those thoughts you have laid on my heart. My request is that it might lead others to renew their commitment to you. Thank you for the gift of your Word. May it inspire us to live faithfully for you.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

The devotional  My Testimony appeared first on Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version^®, NIV^®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.^® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

 

The Solid Rock

Matthew 7:24-29 (NLT) ²⁴Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. ²⁵Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. ²⁶But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. ²⁷When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash. ²⁸When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, ²⁹for he taught with real authority – quite unlike their teachers of religious law.

As we wrap up our two-week focus on our appreciation of some of the older hymns and the Biblical messages they bring, I’d like to close with one of my youngest son’s favorite hymns. Every time our church had a sing-spiration night and asked the congregation for their favorites... David was always first to call out #448 – The Solid Rock. This is a great hymn to wrap up our series for it tells of comfort, hope, and encouragement that can only be found when built upon the unshakable foundation of Jesus Christ.

The author of The Solid Rock is Edward Mote – a humble cabinet maker in London. The year is recorded as 1834, when walking to the cabinet shop, the words flooded Edward’s mind. By the end of the day he had written four verses. They were later set to music by William B. Bradbury, who interestingly enough selected a repetitious and rhythmic cadence, complimenting the repetitious and rhythmic sounds of a carpentry shop. The author, Edward Mote, eventually became a Baptist minister; however, his hymn reflecting the solid foundation of life in Christ is still a favorite among many denominations today.

You might be familiar with the story of the two houses built by the wise and unwise builders... but today, take special note of the last two verses. Jesus taught with authority – he taught from his heart. It wasn’t, nor is it today, a matter of religious laws or beliefs – it is a matter of building on a solid foundation that cannot be shaken by the world’s views. Our world, our society, our educational systems and teachings, our surroundings are all full of sinking sand. Build your life on Jesus Christ the Solid Rock!

The Solid Rock (Edward Mote, 1834)

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace; in every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, His covenant, His blood, support me in the whelming flood; when all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay.

When He shall come with trumpet sound, Oh, may I then in Him be found; dressed in His righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.

Lord God Almighty, our Father;

Thank you for the reminder in your Word and through the older hymns that our only hope is to build our lives on the sure foundation of Your Son, Jesus Christ. The world, our nation, our society, our school systems – all of it is sinking sand – all of it lures us away from You. Jesus’ blood and righteousness is redeeming hope for eternal life when Christ shall come again. Forgive our sins, and set us back on the right path.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

The devotional  The Solid Rock appeared first on Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com  

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Advent Christian Hymnal, ACGC, Charlotte, 1967.

I Think When I Read That Sweet Story of Old

Matthew 19:13-15 (NLT) ¹³One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could lay his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him. ¹⁴But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” ¹⁵And he placed his hands on their heads and blessed them before he left.

The Pharisees of Jesus’ day were well-known for complicating the rules, laws, and stipulations of being the ‘chosen ones’ – those belonging to God. Jesus taught simplicity.

John 5:24 (NLT) ²⁴I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life.

The disciples must have been the original publicity agents trying to maintain the demands of overbooked schedules and standing-room-only attendees. They did their best to minimize distractions. Jesus taught simplicity.

 Luke 18:17 (NLT) ¹⁷I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.

I Think When I Read That Sweet Story of Old (Jemima Thompson Luke, 1841)

I think when I read that sweet story of old, when Jesus was here among men, How He called little children as lambs to His fold, I should like to have been with them then.

I wish that His hands had been placed on my head, that His arms had been thrown around me, and that I might have seen His kind look when He said, “Let the little ones come unto me.”

Yet still to His footstool in prayer I may go, and ask for a share in His grace, and if I thus earnestly seek Him to know, I shall find in His kingdom a place.

 

The simplicity of child-like faith is this...

Romans 10:9-10, 13 (NIV) ⁹If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. ... Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

 

Lord God Almighty, our Father;

The Gospel message is so simple and uncomplicated. Simple trust in Your saving grace. Simple faith in Christ our Redeemer. Why are we so hesitant to proclaim this simple message to others? Forgive us. We come to you with humble hearts in child-like faith. Renew our passion to share this wonderful news of salvation to others.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

The devotional  I Think When I Read That Sweet Story of Old appeared first on Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com  

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version^®, NIV^®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.^® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Advent Christian Hymnal, ACGC, 1952.

I Would Be True

Proverbs 22:6 (NIV) ⁶Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

Isaiah 7:9b (NIV) ^9bIf you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.

Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV) ¹³You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Zechariah 1:3 (NIV) ³This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the LORD Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the LORD Almighty.

2 Peter 3:9 (NIV) ⁹The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Interestingly today’s featured hymn wasn’t written as a hymn, but as a poem to the author’s mother, assuring her of his intentions to remain true to his faith in God. It was his way to show his appreciation for the years she taught him of God’s love and the many years she prayed for him. The hymn was originally a poem entitled “My Creed” and the author was Howard A. Walter.

We love our children. We teach them about God’s love and guide them to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. Tragically, too many young men and women who have grown up in Christian homes leave or drift away from the faith they once held fast as a child. Our society and our schools bombard them with world views that are contrary to what they have been taught with devastating consequences. This is especially hard for parents (and grandparents) who have taught their children in the best ways they know how to do; watching painfully as their child or children adopt world views.  All we are able to do is surround them with our prayers – knowing that God is faithful – knowing that the whole reason for the delay in Christ’s return is to provide more time for repentance.

There is a little bit more to the story of Howard A. Walter. At the age of 23 he left to study for a year in a foreign country, where this poem was written in 1907 and sent to his mother back home. He would only live for approximately 12 more years before succumbing to the 1918 flu epidemic in yet another country at the age of 35. We are never guaranteed length of life. Our main purpose in life is to make the most of every minute in remaining faithful to the Lord and true to whatever tasks He has called us to do.

Today, I ask you to join me in prayer for the families who have raised their children in the faith, but who are desperately praying for family members who have made other choices in life and drifted away from that saving faith. Pray that the Lord’s delay in His return will provide the time needed for our loved ones to return to belief in God and faith in Christ. Pray that our children would be ‘true’ ‘pure’ ‘strong’ and ‘brave’.

I Would Be True (Howard Arnold Walter, 1907)

I would be true, for there are those that trust me; I would be pure, for there are those who care; I would be strong, for there is much to suffer; I would be brave, for there is much to dare, I would be brave, for there is much to dare.

I would be friend of all – the foe, the friendless; I would be giving, and forget the gift; I would be humble, for I know my weakness; I would look up, and laugh, and love, and lift, I would look up and laugh, and love, and lift.

I would be prayerful thro’ each busy moment; I would be constantly in touch with God; I would be tuned to hear the slightest whisper; I would have faith to keep the path Christ trod, I would have faith to keep the path Christ trod.

 

Lord God Almighty, our Father;

Today we come to you not focused upon ourselves, but focused upon our children and any of our loved ones who have drifted away from the faith they once had in You. Surround them with your love; remind them of your grace and mercy; reassure them you stand but a whisper away – ready to receive them back again. Comfort the aching hearts of parents and grandparents.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

The devotional  I Would Be True appeared first on Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version^®, NIV^®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.^® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Advent Christian Hymnal, ACGC, 1952.

Tell Me the Story of Jesus

Isaiah 9:2, 6 (NIV) ²The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. ... ⁶For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

John 3:16-18 (NIV) ¹⁶For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

Romans 14:9 (NIV) ⁹For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (NIV) ³For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.

There are many churches who recite the Apostle’s Creed, or similar recitation each week. The temptation is to view it as mere formality and the words end up sounding ritualistic and robotic. We don’t intend that to happen, but sadly over years it does. My challenge to you has the potential to do dramatic things in your life – if you are willing to take the challenge seriously. Otherwise, the challenge might only yield minimal effectiveness. Here is my challenge to you:

Learn the Story of Jesus. Or, if at one time you knew the Story of Jesus but it has faded inside you because you have somehow taken it for granted or unintentionally minimized it; then RE-learn the Story of Jesus. ‘Write it on your heart, every word!’ Make it personal – for indeed it is! And next time you have the opportunity to recite the Apostle’s Creed, or any other recitation of commitment... mean every single word you repeat.

Tell Me the Story of Jesus (Fanny J. Crosby, 1880)

Tell me the story of Jesus, write on my heart every word; Tell me the story most precious, sweetest that ever was heard.

Fasting alone in the desert, tell of the days that are past, how for our sins He was tempted, Yet was triumphant at last.

Tell of the cross where they nailed Him, writhing in anguish and pain; tell of the grave where they laid Him, tell how He liveth again!

Tell me the story of Jesus, write on my heart every word; Tell me the story most precious, sweetest that ever was heard.

 

Lord God Almighty, our Father;

We are so humbly grateful for the gift of salvation through your only begotten Son. I don’t understand how it is so easy for us to place such minimal emphasis on this Greatest and most Precious Story of Jesus – His birth, His death on our behalf, and His resurrection which provides our Blessed Hope. All of it a direct result of Your great love and mercy! Forgive us. Rekindle the passion we once held in our hearts and give us courage and boldness to share this news with others.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

The devotional  Tell Me the Story of Jesus appeared first on Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com  

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version^®, NIV^®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.^® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Advent Christian Hymnal, ACGC, 1952.