Jesus Christ – IAMHIZ.blog

But Without Faith, Part 2

Welcome back! This is part 2 of a blog I published about a month ago entitled, “But without Faith” where we discussed what faith is. Today we will continue with this topic and look at answering the following questions:

Where does faith come from?

How do you and I get faith?

How does our faith grow?

First, let us recap a bit and look at some definitions for faith:

allegiance to a duty or person,

belief and trust in and loyalty to God,

a firm belief in something for which there is no proof.

The Bible tells us that, “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” Hebrews 11:1 (NLT)

If we cannot see faith…how can we get it? To have the faith that is talked about in the Bible, we must open the Book and read the Words of God. As I delve into this topic, please know that this is not based on my own opinion. I highly encourage you to open God’s Word and read for yourself, that is where we find our answers. It is the Holy Spirit that teaches, not I. I can pick a topic and write about it, but I must rely on the Holy Spirit (and so must you) to impart the truth. He does this by the revealing truths in the inspired Word of God.

The Holy Spirit calls you, sparks your interest, guides you and teaches you. Do not be afraid to dig deep. The Holy Spirit is your Helper, He will help you to understand.

As a child of God, He longs for you to know Him. Take out your Bible and let’s get started.

Where does faith come from?

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is a gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8 (NKJV)

Faith comes from God in the form of a gift. We would not have faith if not for God having His plan and reaching down to offer it to us. We then have the option to choose to accept faith through salvation. Salvation and redemption through Jesus Christ.

God uses faith as the way to bring salvation to His people. God gives faith because of His grace and mercy, because He loves us, His creation, so very much. He desires for us to have a way to know Him.

How do you and I get faith?

“So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.” Romans 10:17

As we hear the Word of God and the Salvation plan, which is what Jesus accomplished on the cross, we are given faith. Faith to believe that there is something more to life than just existing and going through the motions of living day to day…faith to have HOPE in Someone bigger than us, Someone who has a unique plan for each of His beloved children!

It is the Word of God that produces faith. A person could receive faith while reading about Jesus in the Bible or by hearing a sermon teaching the Good News or by you or I sharing the story of Jesus—any time the true gospel of Jesus is communicated, there is potential for faith! How exciting! That you and I can be part of the chain of events that God has orchestrated!

How does our faith grow?

If we are not in control of even getting faith on our own…how can you and I increase our faith. I wish to be more faithful.

We can pray and ask for more faith just as the apostles asked of Jesus in Luke 17:5,

“And the apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’”

Our faith grows as we build our lives on the truth of Jesus Christ, what we are taught about Him in and directly from God’s Word. We model our lives after Him. It is built on the truth of what God says, not what man says. When we are listening to pastors, preachers, spiritual songs, or fellow Christians, we must hold those words/that teaching up to God’s Word. We must stay away from teaching that is not in line with Biblical truths. We need to be careful about who is teaching us.

“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him. Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” Colossians 2:6-7

We need to always remember that faith was given to each believer as a gift. We cannot take credit for it or tout it in the face of others or think of ourselves in a prideful way.

“For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” Romans 12:3 (NKJV)

By knowing our saving faith comes from God alone, it should encourage us as Christians to not think of ourselves more highly than we ought; but remember that God decides the measure of faith each one receives.

So, as we can see from reading God’s Word…that receiving faith comes from God and our faith increases by spending time in His Word.

I want to end on a note of thanksgiving. We should be thankful always for the faith God has given us, thankful that He chooses to use us in ministering to others. It is a privilege and honor to serve the Lord and His people.

“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 1:12-14

May God bless you with wisdom and increased faith as you dig deep into His Word.

To Wait Patiently

“I waited patiently for the LORD, and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He also brought me out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth—Praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the LORD.” Psalm 40:1-3 (NKJV)

These verses make me wonder how patient am I? Have I waited patiently for the LORD? The verb wait is used in the past tense in this verse…waited patiently. Already done. Have I waited? How important is it to “have waited patiently?”

Let us explore what it means to be patient and to wait patiently.

Patience—the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble or suffering without getting angry or upset.

Wow! That is a challenge for many people on a regular basis, and for probably everyone… at least once in a while.

Patience is mentioned over 70 times in the Bible. The Bible encyclopedia describes it as, “A forbearance or endurance. It is a quality of self-restraint or of not giving way to anger, even in the face of provocation, it is attributed to both God and man and is closely related to mercy.”

Patience is the 4^th Fruit of the Spirit and is also referred to as longsuffering.

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control…” Galatians 5:22 (NLT)

As a believer in Jesus Christ as my Savior and as a follower of Him, through the Power of the Holy Spirit living within me, I can bear the trials of life. You can too.

How? It is the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit when He is alive and well within us. By allowing the Holy Spirit the freedom to produce this quality within us…by knowing that God is in control . This helps us see hope in every situation. By knowing God that sees the whole picture and He knows & does what is best for each of His children.

I like this caption that I read recently, “Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.”

Are you waiting for things to happen in your life? Have you been praying, and it seems that Heaven is silent? Are you waited patiently? What has been the attitude of your heart? Are you keeping a good attitude while you wait?

I must admit, at times…I have not.

When we are patient, it puts us in control of ourselves. Being patient gives us time to choose how to respond to a given event or circumstance, rather than let rampant emotions take over. Often times impatience makes us react in damaging ways as we look for shortcuts and quick fixes. The enemy of God’s children, Satan uses impatience to derail us from achieving God’s purpose in our lives.

It is beneficial to be disciplined to wait, to learn this behavior and make it part of who we are. We can be mindful of the things that make us impatient. When I feel myself getting impatient, I take a deep breath. I ponder how losing control will not help the situation and I picture how being patient will pay off.

There are many benefits of having patience. Some are that we enjoy better mental health. There is less stress on our body’s as we learn to wait. It makes us a better parent, friend and neighbor. It helps us achieve our goals and not harm others as we reach them.

Patience does not mean we are weak or passive. It is a strength and one that our Creator God tells us to practice. We remain active and continue doing what God has called us to do, while we wait.

I do not always wait patiently. I sometimes want to prod God along and make Him answer my desires in my way and in my time. This thought process has caused me nothing but sorrow. It makes me angry with God as my anxious and worrisome thoughts think He is not doing the job I think He should be doing.

As I learn from Jesus and the Scriptures, as I wait, and watch—I learn how to act and when to react. I become more compassionate. Through time in His Word and learning to patiently wait and worship Him through each trial, I have immense blessings. He inclines His head to me and hears my cry. He will hear yours too. Simple advice but so profound!

Grafted In

Grafted in. What does that mean?

Thefreedictionary.com defines grafted as this:

To unite (a shoot or bud) with a growing plant by insertion or by placing in close contact. To join (a plant or plants) by such union. To join or unite closely: graft new customs onto old.

I have a weeping cherry tree in my back yard. It is so beautiful. The branches heavy with sweet scented blossoms cascades with “arms” stretched down toward the ground in sweeping pink beauty! A pollinators dream plant.

Did you know that weeping cherry is a grafted tree and how it is grafted? I did not know to the extent what this tree has gone through to became what it is…

It is actually a tree made up of two (or sometimes 3) completely different parts. The weeping (top) part of the tree is ‘grafted’ to the trunk of a standard upright cherry. “Grafting is a horticultural technique used to join parts from two or more plants usually of the same species (or a relative that is compatible) so that they appear to grow as a single plant.” The upper part (or the scion) of one plant grows on the root stock (or root system) of another plant. Weeping cherries are propagated this way to take advantage of the weeping branch shape at the top and the root strength of a cherry variety with hearty root stock. Weeping cherries are most commonly grafted 5 feet above the ground where the trunk of the base tree is sawed off and the weeping branches are attached into intentionally created cracks in the trunk. The cracks are covered with grafting compound. They are all fed from the one “main root” source

To keep the “weeping” habit of the tree, after the graft heals, any branches that grow straight up out of the base need to be trimmed off.

Some grafted weeping cherry trees are called a “reverted” weeping cherry. The upright growth is the host tree of the base growing through the graft of the weeping upper branches. The original tree is trying to revert back to its “usual” habit of growing upright instead of the weeping habit that is desired

Grafted in. What does that mean as a believer in Jesus? For myself and many others, as a Gentile or as a person of non Jewish descent, I could have no part in Salvation through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the cross…however, similar to the grafting process of the weeping cherry, I have been “grafted” in.

How, you might ask? Because I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, now I am part of God’s ‘chosen” people and His family.

Romans 11:17-20 (ESV) tells us, “But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear.”

God has given us the opportunity to be part of His chosen people. We have ALL the benefits, provision, guidance, and protection as the Israelite’s. This is Not something to brag about, but something to be thankful for. Our strength and life comes from the “Root” source, Jesus Christ. I am humbled to be part of God’s chosen family, to be called His child. How about you? Are you part of this “Root” system?

All you have to do is believe in Jesus and His redemptive work on the cross for your sin. (John 3:16). That is what I did and I am “grafted in” and part of God’s family! I am thankful.

Find me on YouTube.com Tami Bemis Cole

Do Not Fear

“Fear not for I am with you; Be not dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

A great verse in times that challenge us…most recently with the corona virus concerns but also all the other troubles you & I have going on in our lives. This verse is so much more than just a great verse to speak. It is a truth we can anchor ourselves to and hold on. As a child of God, He has promised us, His children, to help us, to hold us up and has given a command for us to not live in fear. He wants us to trust Him, no matter what is going on.

We have an enemy in this world, his name is Satan and he has an army of demons (fallen angels) that are forever causing trickery, confusion & chaos. He is of the darkness. He deals in crooked paths, lies and death. He wants you & I to live in fear & anxiety. He wants us to turn our focus from God onto himself. He wants to be god of our lives.

If you do not call Jesus Christ Lord & Savior of your life, then Satan has full authority over you and you are in bondage.

But do not fear. The second you ask Jesus Christ into your life, the enemy no longer has control. You have been set free! You belong to God and He will help you. The problems in life may not all go away but you can receive strength & peace amid the problems. You also receive a forever home in heaven!

“For God is not the author of confusion but of peace…” 1 Corinthians 14:33 (NKJV)

“This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all.” 1 John 1:5 (NKJV)

JESUS says in John 14:6, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through Me.” (NKJV)

So very different from what Satan has to offer…he deals in crooked paths, lies and death. They may seem good at first, but like an apple left out in the sun, it soon becomes rotten. Jesus gave His very life to set us free.

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36 (NIV)

You may not agree with or understand this information. I do not speak on my authority but on the truth of God’s Word. Search the Scriptures for yourself. Don’t live your life in fear for one more minute. If you want to know more about how to become a child of God, here are some verses that will help you understand the why & how:

First, admit that you are a sinner, that you have done wrong things, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23 (NIV)

Ask for forgiveness. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 (ESV)

Next, you must believe in Jesus as your Savior. He was innocent, yet He died on the cross in your place to pay your sin debt and give you eternal life. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one & only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NIV)

Next, believe in Him, become adopted into His family. “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John1:12 (NIV)
Confess that He is Lord of your life. “Because you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9 (ESV)

Lastly, choose to follow Him daily.” Then he [Jesus] said to them all: “whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23 (NIV)
If your heart is ready to invite Him into your life, all it takes is a sincere prayer like this:

Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, I have done wrong things and I ask You to forgive me. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. Amen

If you prayed this prayer for the first time, let me be the first to welcome you into God’s family! I would love to hear from you, email me at AnchoredInHim7@gmail.com. I encourage you to find a Bible preaching church and share your decision. Walk together with other believers and find encouragement on your journey!

The Journey Begins

Thanks for joining me! My name is Tami and I am so happy you found my blog! This blog is dedicated Jesus Christ and the hope I find in Him. I love nature and each of God’s creations teaches me a life lesson. Just like the beautiful Monarch caterpillar you see me with here (more about this and my trip to Aruba in a future post!), we go through different parts of our “life cycle”. As we journey together, I will share how Jesus has changed me, breathed His Spirit into my life and given me hope when all seemed hopeless. Feel free to come back as often as you like!