All tagged faith

Jesus; Is He Simply a Suit of Clothes?

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Superficial Faith

We say we are Christians but continue to live our lives of faith like suits of clothes; we treat our belief in Jesus Christ lightly by wearing them superficially and only letting Him brush lightly against our skin when we should actually be taking Jesus into our very being, our hearts, and consuming our faith in Him like the communion meal demonstrates. We should be making Him the ingredient that every other part of us feeds on, is nourished by, and is completed by. When we take the body and blood of Jesus into us, we become as one, and our faith is made whole in Him. In this way we have without a doubt become believers… and Christian. Do we do this?

Arguments, Problems, and Things; Is This Our Life?

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Unsettled Faith

Are there things in our lives that distract us from focusing on Jesus Christ? You know the ones... an unresolved argument that worries and distracts us during prayer, a problem with our home or automobile that nags at us when we sit to read and study scripture, or perhaps too many planned activities in our day that tempt us to place them before the important things of life… like worship. Do these symptoms of an overly busy life sound familiar? Well, this problem is quite common in most people’s everyday life but today let’s look at this phenomenon with our focus specifically on our spiritual lives.

Of Mentors and the Banks of the Jordan

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Mentors

Are we ready to step forward in our faith and enter into a new role of servitude? Our inclination as new Christians is to go only so far and then fall dutifully behind a spiritual mentor, allowing them to teach and lead us on from there. However, God would have use step through that spiritual season, move beyond being mentored, and cross into a larger life with Him. This is an inevitable event.

The Five Letter Answer to the Question - "Why Lord?"

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Questioning God

Is what God is doing, or not doing, in your life a frustrating mystery? Do you pray for a certain thing repeatedly, but it just doesn’t seem that you are being heard? How about the troubles in your life? Does God's plan for you regarding them stump or escape you? Well don't feel alone, because many have faced this challenge through the years. Many have asked Him “Why Lord” and “When Lord?” So, let's explore these puzzling spiritual questions today.

Leaving Ourselves on the Cross

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Gauging Our Faith

When I came to Jesus it was in full submission to Him, but have I served Him over all else in my life? Have I been the servant that God expects me to be, or has my commitment to Him become a convenience on my part? These are my thoughts this morning and as I seek the answers to them, I find that they often serve to convict me. I gauge my faith and belief against that of Jesus and find myself lacking. It is in moments like this that I cry out for mercy, grace, and to be covered in the blood of the perfect lamb, Jesus Christ. Will you join me in this quest for true faith, and a plea for mercy?

Maturing in Our Faith

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Aging In Faith

How mature are we as Christians? Have we moved from that stage in our faith where the focus has shifted from learning who Jesus was, and how to live the life of a Christian, to that of actually knowing Him and living alongside Him? Are we fully engaged in and surrounded by the will of God, and in close relationship with Jesus? Or are we still battling within ourselves to wrest control from the sinful man that resides there?

Perfecting Our Faith at the Keyboard of Life

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Perfecting Faith

Am I working hard enough and practicing my faith with enough diligence and dedication so that I will, at last, be called a mature son of God? Is my faith increasing, and my everyday life reflecting that increase, by exhibiting the true character of Jesus? Everyday life doesn't grow easier for the Christian, but it does grow more certain spiritually, and robust in belief and faith.

Do You Live the Life of a Deer?

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, True Faith

There comes a point in our faith life when we have given ourselves over to God, and trust so completely in Jesus Christ, that the struggle for righteousness ends and our faith becomes as natural as taking our next breath. Is this what we seek today, or do we fight daily with our human nature in an attempt to walk a fine line between our earthly life and heaven... and not truly becoming a resident in either place.

Reckless Faith and our Walk towards Home

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotion, Reckless Faith

Do you follow Jesus without a second thought? Do you give your faith free and unquestioned rein to rule your life? These are the questions that face us all and the crux of my morning contemplation today. Peter walked on water by faith, but he sank into the roiling sea out of doubt. I have personally allowed doubt to steal my victory on more than one occasion... have you experienced this in your walk with Jesus?

Faith and Just Living like Jesus

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Living Our Faith

Do we spend an inordinate amount of time trying to achieve the perfection of Jesus Christ and too little time just living out our daily lives like He did? Are we wrapped up in searching for some hidden meaning in God’s Word at the expense of just living out the obvious things scripture teaches us? Our goal should be to follow Jesus and learn at His feet, but we can't do that unless we are walking with Him and making camp where He makes camp. Are we doing this? Are we reading scripture with the open minds of children?

Knee Jerk Faith

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, Practicing Faith

How do we practice our faith? Do we add to it each day by striving to make the level of faithfulness that we reached the day before something we can perform automatically…a spiritual reflex? I hope that our faith becomes reflexive and doesn’t require us to relearn or concentrate on it day after day. I pray that our faith becomes ingrained in us by repetition and working to deepen it over time. For this to happen it requires us to continuously practice our liturgy, study scripture, and to do the other things of faith that we have already mastered, and then to build upon them by adding God’s new lessons and revelations atop this foundation. We need to continue practicing what we have heard preached in church, what we have learned during our walk of faith, and then to build upon these things as we continue walking in a newness of faith each day.

Of Love, Life, and a Contract with God

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotional, A Contract with God

We don't find Jesus through an academic study of scripture nearly as much as scripture is revealed to us while walking with Him. Don’t each of us remember a time when we were mired down in our study of the Bible to the point that we couldn’t touch the living Christ there? But, once we have met Him in the gospel, doesn’t He bring the whole of scripture alive for us and set us free in it.

Faith, Salvation, and Fear

Richard Forbes
Christian , Daily Devotion, Faith and Salvation

Salvation... We question ourselves by asking how we can achieve this and live our lives as God expects... obeying Him is just too hard and it can be difficult to believe that anyone could possibly accomplish such a thing. Satan whispers to us “You can never be saved!”, but that is a lie. 

Judgement… does the uncertainty of our success in obeying or pleasing God challenge us? Does the complexity and mystery of God cause us to wonder if we will be judged worthy? Well, if we trust in His Word and the gospel of Jesus, believe in Jesus, and ask forgiveness for those things we feel we have failed at, then we can rest assured that we are indeed worthy.  

And finally there is Fear… This is what we feel when we face Satan’s lie concerning our salvation, and the doubt that confronts us regarding our own worthiness. Fear causes so many of us to run away from the challenges we face in life and the greatest of these is believing and having faith in God and Jesus Christ. Until we overcome fear, as scripture tells us repeatedly to do by saying “Fear Not”, then we can never truly rest in the Lord, experience His peace, and walk eternally in His presence. 

Let’s study these things. 

Load More