The halfbaked Bard

Heb:11:1 Now faith is a substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. The definition of faith. Faith is hoping. Not of an idea which is beyond logic. It is evidence based. Even when you have not seen it. Faith is not based on a written code which you decipher out or construe for your comfort. But faith is based on the character that is behind the promise. The person who made the promise. Him whom I call my Father. My Appa. That is the base of my faith. On this Appa, I have put my faith in my redemption, my salvation, for my eternal life. On Him I will place my faith for my everyday walk. He is good and He will do all things for my good. That is enough for me to trust in Him. So when something overwhelming comes my way, I will still choose to trust Him. I will still choose to cling close to Him. For He holds me. Doubt or fear or worry is an antonym to faith. Faith hopes. Faith ensures. Faith relieves. Faith brings joy. Faith is the sum and substance of my l...

We do not want you to become lazy but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. Heb:6:12 Being lazy in faith is a dangerous thing - not actively working out the salvation you have freely received by grace. Not actively doing things because you are saved. Continuing on things which once entertained you. May be harmless things. But it quenches the Spirit in you. Not feeding on the right things, so then the new man is stunted; and feeding on the world's things so then the old man is still allowed to grow.. Forgetting the fact that the old man is dead. Proactively do things out of your faith. So that you will inherit what has been promised. Are you lazy in applying your faith in testing times? Are you lazy in spending time with the Word of God? Are you lazy in praying and fasting? Then it would be hard to inherit what has been promised.

Heb:4:9 There remains then, a Sabbath - rest for the people of God. Rest for the people of God. Rest due to peace with God. Rest due to peace of God. Rest due to belief in God. Rest due to belief upon God. Rest because of obedience to God. Heb:3:19.  They were not able to enter because of their unbelief. The restful life promised to us is achieved through faith alone. Unbelief will take away that rest. The restful life which is part of the abundant life He promised. The restful life which comes out of trust upon this God. Restlessness is because of disobedience in unbelief. Just like all the others apart from Joshua and Caleb could not enter the rest because of unbelief. Beware. Be aware. Image credit: https://sleep.me/post/benefits-of-rest-and-relaxation?srsltid=AfmBOoqJzHFVT_jNlFvpO9lqT1k5Bpowh6myRdBv_AZq15VGsC1W-wkK

The righteous man shall live by faith. Gal:3:11 The Law points. It shows the correct path. It enlightens. It shows the standard. But by following it, you shall not be saved. By our works we will not be saved. For it is written - For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. James:2:10 It is impossible therefore to be saved by works. That is why grace is so beautiful. When I couldn't do anything; He did everything. First made righteous by Grace. That man shall live by faith. Regarding salvation. Regarding daily living. The first act is by God. You might not have been able to figure out everything in your life. You might not have been able to fit all pieces. But just have faith in the one who called you. 1 Thess:5:24. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. Phil:1:6. He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of coming of Christ Jesus. Therefore stop worrying. Stop trusting in your ...

Test yourselves to see, if you are in faith, examine yourselves. 2 Cor:13:5 This is something which we need to do repeatedly in our lives. To test our faith; to test the genuineness of our faith. Not about the saving faith we had once. That is not something that you might lose. For it says that, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone and behold the new has come. It also says that; now there is no condemnation for those who are in the Lord Jesus  It says about the earnestness of your faith. Have you grown in your trust in Jesus? Has your love grown cold? Is spending time in His presence a burden and a sense of responsibility rather than an excitement and an emotion? Where is your first love? You cannot lose faith. But you can freeze it and make it dead. Beware. How do you test? Keep checking. Keep reassesing. Take regular introspections, to see whether you are growing or stunted? Prune things which are unnecessary. Unwanted commitments. Unwarrante...

1 Cor:16:13 Be on the alert, stand firm in faith; act like men; be strong. Watch out. Look out. Be on the alert. Stand firm in faith. That is what men do. Be strong. Stay strong. Dwindling in your trust in God is what children do. Act like the man you are. Be a man. Stay strong on your faith. No matter what happens, hold fast to your God. That is mature faith. Do not let go to fear or anxiety. Be strong. Faith is trusting God, the Father despite what the circumstances look like. Knowing fully that He is in control. That He will take care and thats enough. He is enough. Image credit; https://www.freepik.com/premium-photo/hand-holding-fist-symbol-determination_139829368.htm

Rom:4:22 Therefore it was also credited to him as righteousness. Till now we were talking about the saving faith of Abram, which is credited to him as righteousness. Now Paul talks about faith in the promise of God. That also was credited to him as righteousness. So faith is progressive and increasing in Abram's case. First the saving faith, and then faith in his daily challenges. Yet faith is not about the promise. But the promise maker. The promise keeper. Because that promise came from the One and only faithful and true God, it is trustworthy. While claiming a promise, you give importance to the promise perse. Not the person who gave it. What Abram believed is that God said something, therefore I am sure it will happen. When you read the Word of God and as you receive a personal promise, see it as God communicating to you. And because it came from God, it is sure to fulfill. But even if He doesn't communicate beforehand, we are sure of Rom:8:28, Jer:29:11 and Is...

Rom:4:3 Abraham believed God and it was credited as righteousness. Justified by faith. Not by works. Faith is the only thing that clears you. Rom:4:4-5. Now to the one who works his wage is not credited as a favour, but as what is due. But to the one who believed in Him, who justified the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness. This is called grace. Image credit: https://www.vietnam.vn/en/credit-card-la-gi

Acts:26:17b-18 Yes I am sending you to the Gentiles to open their eyes so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God's people who are set apart by faith in me. Set apart  Chosen.  Predestined to be redeemed by faith. Chosen even before you were formed in your mother's womb. Chosen even before the foundations of the earth. To be His very own. The counter argument is what about the rest who are not chosen. Is it not unfair? How can a just God, choose some and reject the rest? The beauty is - you are chosen. You are predestined. To be precise - is it fair to have been chosen? And He has set you apart - by faith in Jesus. Faith is your part. For the chosen, faith is given too. Yet a small ounce you have your part to play. You can say yes or you can disagree. It's a subtle blend that marks the chef's signature. We may not be able to understand it fully. ...

Lk:7:1-10 Will Jesus be amazed by seeing your faith? Jesus here is amazed by the faith of a Roman solider. Not even a Jew. This man was supportive to the Jews. He was friends with many respected Jewish elders. If anyone needed Jesus' help, it was he, testified the Jews. Still a gentile. But still believed that Jesus had the power to heal his slave by just His word. And this much of faith was with not much spiritual back up. Jesus was amazed seeing his faith. After all the spiritual input that we have got from church, and the Sunday schools and the fellowships that we are involved with, Jesus would still be amazed at our faith (or the lack of it). We still fret. We are still anxious and worried, when the tables are turned against us. Trust is the only thing that He wants to see in us. And we need to grow in faith, not decline. The graph is to go upward, why is it directed downward, or status quo? Make Jesus amazed and proud of your faith. Image credit: https://www.shutte...

Mk:9:24 I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief. Jesus starts by saying - Anything is possible if a person believes. A helpless father says expeditiously - I do believe that You can heal my son completely. Only You can. That is why I brought him to You. Then he realises forthwith that there are a lot of faithlessness in him, a lot of unbelief. Logicality, reasoning, doubt all starts to creep in the moment you think you believe. And that is when you realise that you are nowhere near. Otherwise you are in Eutopia where you think you believe. Superficiality is the enemy of firm faith. If only you would cry out to the giver of all gifts, who gives freely, earnestly to give you even faith. To give you the ability to trust Him no matter what.  Ask and you shall receive. Image credit: https://www.inspiredwalk.com/2067/6-ways-people-show-unbelief-towards-god

Matt:18:22 Nothing would be impossible.  Though adidas credits Mohammed Ali for its inspirational slogan, it was told by Jesus centuries earlier.  Adidas relies on your will power and hardwork and promises to assist you with their products in achieving your that goal. But when Jesus said that nothing would be impossible, He was pointing to The Father. All we need to have is just blind faith in this unchanging God.  Then why are my many prayers unanswered, why are my many querries delayed? It depends on what you trust. Trust is on God and His attribute of goodness. Not on what you will get. He being good, will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Jesus Christ. That He who began a good work in you, will carry it on to completion until the coming of Jesus Christ. That He will work all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.  Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own under...

Matt:13:58 And so He did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief.  Was it because of unbelief and faithlessness that Jesus could do only a few miracles in His hometown? Is faith a determining factor of whether miracles will happen or not?  God is not a helpless God whose hands are tied because of your unbelief. If He wants to do a miracle, He will do it; no matter what. He is a Soveriegn God. An all powerful God. But He chooses not to do those because of disbelief.  He chose to keep quiet before Herod. He chose to keep quiet before Pilate, beyond a particular time. Jesus often asks the receiver of healing, "do you believe? " And almost all of them, in fact all of them documented in the word of God, said they believed. That is because those who came to Him belelieved, He could heal them. Those who did not come to Him, stayed where they were and could not receive the healing.  Faith is a means for me to connect to Him and His Sovereign will....

Hag:1:10 It's because of you that the heavens with hold the dew and the earth produces no crops.  The Lord is Almighty. He is able. And He is willing.  But what with holds the rain and thr dew.  Your lack of faith. Your indolence and slothfulness.  Your lack of repentance and return.  Your lack of trust in the God who will equip.  Spark up the enthusiasm. The Lord does His part.  It is upto you to enlighten yourself In your circle, are things not going well?  As a leader. As an individual, is your wrong side up?  God isn't inactive. Not is He helpless.  Why don't you step up? May God enable.  Image credit:  https://m.facebook.com/BostonSchoolofEnglish/photos/a.10150121908622984/10156876515972984/?type=3

Hab:2:4 Rom:1:17 Gal:3:11 Heb:10:38 The righteous shall live by faith.  Others live money oriented No matter what the way is By treachery or murder or dishonesty By the arrogance in their mouth.  Well we are not like that We are declared righteous We are righteous, not by our acts By faith as the Lord says.  Faith in the death on the cross That redeeming act has cleansed us If that is what we believe That is our righteousness.  Daily as we struggle to make ends meet It is not money that we trust It is God who has promised to be my provider It is in Him we put our faith.  Daily as we face troubles It is not pleasure that we seek It is to be in the bosom of our lover That is the faith that rescues us.  Daily as we struggle in that deep pit Failing, hurting Him again and again He is a loving and forgiving God That faith sustains us.  It is not what we do or perform But who we are and whose we are Faith is to live that God centered life No matter what othe...