Tag Archives: faith

December 9, 2018

One Word Devotionals

By marilynnchadwick

Your minutes matter—especially when life gets busy. That’s why I’m starting a new series called One Word Devotionals. You can read each devotional in about three minutes. Honest—I timed it.

I hope you’ll join me for the first in this series—a journey through the book of James.  Starting tomorrow, I’ll post a short devotional each morning on this practical epistle written by the half-brother of Jesus. These reflections are designed to help you meditate on a very small portion of Scripture.

Why One Word? Meditation on a single facet of Scripture helps you focus on a specific truth. It’s a good way to fill your mind with God’s Word.  Plus, it helps you frontload your prayers with a burst of power for the rest of your day.

If you were with me for the 21 Day Experiment in John, you know I’m a “word nerd.” I like to explore the Scriptures in the original Greek. It’s a good way to unpack every morsel of truth in God’s Word.

It’s often challenging to keep our faith—and our cool—when the stresses of life hit. Maybe you need a “little faith-fix” as you approach the holiday season.  I know I do. The book of James is filled with lots of practical wisdom. That’s why some call it “The Proverbs of the New Testament.” Just the book to help us focus on what really matters!

Sometimes, all the craziness in the world today threatens to wreck our calm. Plus, the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season can cause us to lose focus. Let’s reflect on what James has to teach us as we anticipate the birthday of Jesus.

The five short chapters in the book of James pack a wallop!  Over the years, the powerful truth in this little book has ignited several life-changing moments for me.  So I can’t wait to dive in again!

God’s Word never returns void. Never leaves us empty. So…are you ready?  Tomorrow, we’ll begin our Journey through James.  Expect to be changed.

I encourage you to stay alert. Be sure to watch for signs of God at work all around you.  And remember, Jesus loves to surprise us with Christmas miracles!

4 Comments   |  tags: , , , | posted in Arm Yourself with Spiritual Strength

December 4, 2018

21 Day Experiment-Day 20

By marilynnchadwick

Someone once said “seeing is believing.” It is much easier to believe when we can see the evidence. Yet sometimes faith is the belief in the unseen—otherwise, it wouldn’t be called faith. Much like the t-shirt I saw recently with this bold slogan across the front: BELIEVING IS SEEING!

The disciples fought to cling to their faith as they watched Jesus die on that wretched cross.  Everything they could see pointed to utter defeat! But what they could see with their eyes was not the whole story as they would soon discover.

The word SEE is sprinkled throughout today’s reading of John 20:

Mary Magdalene was the first to visit Jesus’ burial site. All she could see was an empty grave! Peter and John raced to the tomb to see for themselves. They looked inside to see the grave cloths folded, but no sign of Jesus anywhere!  The Bible says they “saw and believed” (John 20:8).

Later, Jesus appeared to Mary. She sees and believes. Then, He walks though a locked door and appears to the trembling disciples. They were overjoyed to see Jesus—and they believed!

Somehow Thomas missed out. So he refused to believe unless he saw for himself the nail marks in Jesus’ hands.  Jesus makes a special visit to “doubting Thomas.” He lets him see and touch the nail holes—then challenges Thomas to stop doubting and believe (John 20:27).

The Lord understands we sometimes wrestle to believe. Especially when it looks like evil has won the battle. That’s why John’s Gospel leaves us with these words of encouragement:

Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of His disciples. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing, you may have life in His name” (John 20:30,31).

Signs are like God’s fingerprints.  He wants us to believe that Jesus is the Christ. That’s why Jesus left signs—to help us believe!

Have you seen God’s fingerprints during our 21 Day Experiment? Maybe there’s a friend or family member that would be encouraged by your story. In tomorrow’s post, I’ll share the story of one of my own fingperprints from God.

As we come to the end of our 21 Day Experiment, I encourage you to carve out some extra time tomorrow to reflect on—and even write down—what you’ve seen. What’s you’ve heard from God. And what you believe about Jesus the Christ.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for Your fingerprints. Keep me watchful. Alert. Above all, help me to believe, even before I see what You are doing in and around me. That’s called trust—so today, I simply trust You.

 

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November 28, 2018

21 Day Experiment-Day 14

By marilynnchadwick

“No way!“ My older son used to exclaim to his younger brother when something amazing or unexpected had just happened. To which his little brother would answer back,” Way!”

Way can describe a course of action. Or directions to a destination: “What’s the quickest way to go to the beach?” A method of doing something: “What’s the best way to prepare a healthy meal?”  Or execute a good golf swing?

The word way in the Bible comes from hodos, translated “road.” It can describe our course of life, conduct, or behavior. The “way of the Lord” is the revealed will of God. That’s why the early church was called “The Way,” well before believers were referred to as “Christians.”

But the word way brings up an important question:  “Is Jesus the only way to God?”  Some people believe that Jesus is simply one of many ways.  Sounds appealing at first—easier to swallow. Until you think about the reality that without Jesus, there is no firm assurance of the forgiveness of sins. No promise of eternity in Heaven.

There are really only two world’s religions, as my husband David often says:

  1. You’re saved by perfectly obeying a standard of rules or laws, thus trying to work your way to God. Impossible for imperfect humans.
  2. Or you are saved by grace. You accept Christ’s sacrifice on the cross as full payment for all your sins and follow Him as the only way to God.

My watchword for today from John Chapter 14 is short and simple:   

I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6).

People the world over would agree that Jesus was a “good man, wonderful teacher, a true humanitarian.” But not the only way to God.

Yet Jesus, Himself, claimed to be the long-awaited Messiah and the only way to the Father. Such a claim—if not true—makes Him an out-and-out liar. The very same man people esteem as a great moral teacher would be the greatest of imposters.  Or as C.S. Lewis so eloquently put it, Jesus is “a liar, a legend, a lunatic, or the truth.” I would also add, He is the “Way.”

Prayer: Lord, I pray for Your Holy Spirit to open the door to a conversation with my friend ___________ who has been seeking You—but just doesn’t know it yet.

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November 23, 2018

21 Day Experiment-Day 9

By marilynnchadwick

Blind. The man had been born blind. Just imagine.  He had never seen daylight. Never looked at his own hands. Never gazed upon his parents’ faces.

We can tell from the account in today’s reading of John 9 that the man had never even heard of Jesus.  And yet, he would soon have a dramatic encounter with this controversial Rabbi.

When they saw the blind man, Jesus’ disciples asked a probing question: “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him” (John 9:1-3).

When life hits hard, we may wonder whether our pain is payback for some sin. Maybe we’ve agonized in prayer. But for whatever reason, the answer just hasn’t come…at least not yet.

Jesus assured His followers that it wasn’t the man or his parents’ sin that caused the blindness.  Rather, it happened, “so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.”

Jesus then healed the man—an astounding miracle that resulted in a show of God’s mighty power to the onlookers! Once again, the Pharisees were furious and eager to accuse Jesus. “This man is not from God, for He does not keep the Sabbath.”

They repeatedly interrogated the blind man, pressuring him to discredit Jesus. The man’s short but powerful answer is one of the most eloquent testimonies in Scripture and my watchword for today:

Whether He is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind, but now I see! (John 9:25).

The man’s response got him kicked out of the synagogue. But his time of testing became his “testimony.” Courage compelled him to take a stand for Jesus.

Maybe you’re like this man. You may not know everything there is to know about Jesus.  You may not even know how to answer your critics.  But if you have experienced the saving, healing mercy of Jesus, you know the One you have encountered. You know that you were “blind” but now you “see.”  And you know His Word is true.  Perhaps your time of testing can also become your testimony.

Dare to pray now and ask God if there is someone in your life who needs to hear your story? Don’t forget to be alert and ready to speak the truth when your opportunity knocks!

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November 20, 2018

21 Day Experiment-Day 6

By marilynnchadwick

I grew up in an era when the threat of nuclear war loomed large.  So my childhood television viewing was often interrupted by an annoying, high-pitched, 60-second blast and this announcement: This is a test…of the emergency broadcast system…this is only a test.

The Bible talks a lot about tests.  A test shows our strengths and weaknesses.  Any good coach or teacher tests their students.  In today’s reading of John 6, Jesus gives a pop-quiz to his disciple Philip.

Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?”  He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do (John 6:5,6). Continue reading

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