Faith – Page 3 – Karen Gamble Writes

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church 2019

There are several countries and regions of the world where Christianity is prohibited.

Because of this, many Christians in these areas are not free to openly worship God or serve Christ.

They are displaced from their homes and villages, discriminated against, beaten, and in some cases killed simply for believing in Jesus.

Today Christians around the world are joining together and praying for these brothers and sisters who are suffering greatly for their faith.

Please help us pray for their safety as well as for governments and countries to change and allow religious freedom.

Visit Voice of the Martyrs where you can learn more as well as receive resources to help you share this important ministry.

Category: Faith, Family, Prayer | LEAVE A COMMENT

The Face of Humility

Today a lady came by my office seeking help.

She’d been sent by another church who knew we have a homeless ministry.

It seems she and her 37-year-old son had been evicted from their apartment following some sad events concerning a questionable landlord.

I apologized as I explained we had no funds available and would not be able to help.

In a trembling voice, she said it was ok; she understood.

Tears fell down her face when I offered to pray for her.

As I prayed I remembered we had a few gift cards to a local restaurant and offered them to her, asking if she was hungry.

Her humble reply, “Well, we haven’t eaten in about 3 days, but that’s okay.” Her humble and gentle demeanor made it clear she really was in need.

I gave her the cards and rounded up a few cans of soup from the storage area.

She was so thankful, repeatedly telling me she appreciated it and thanking me for my kindness.

Feeling bad that I couldn’t do more for her, I gave her the number to a local Christian homeless shelter and apologized again that we couldn’t help.

She looked me straight in the eye, smiled, and said,

“That’s okay. God gave me

what I deserved today and it’s plenty.

We’ll be just fine.”

She left my office smiling.

Plenty? A gift certificate and a few cans of soup and she thinks it’s plenty? She and her disabled son are homeless and she thinks that’s plenty? What a testament to her faith!

Later, I sat at my desk and thought about how kind, gentle, and sweet she was. I kept thinking about what a bad spot she was in through no fault of her own. How humbly she’d accepted my small offerings with great appreciation and gratitude.

It dawned on me – I’m the one who should be thanking her.

She reminded me of the importance of a humble attitude of gratitude.

I might be the one sitting in this office assigned with the task of showing God’s love, but this lady showed me what true humility and love for the Savior really looks like.

So, thank you, Ms. Kathy.

It was an honor and a privilege to meet you!

Your witness is truly an inspiration for us all!

(this post was originally published on my previous blog, the link to which is no longer available)

Category: Faith, God, Submission | LEAVE A COMMENT

How to Study Your Bible

Regular Bible Study is an important part of being a Christian. (read why here)

If it’s not something you are familiar with it can be a bit intimidating. The Bible is a big book and it may be confusing as to where to start.

(Tip: The Bible is divided into two parts: The Old Testament and the New Testament.

Each of these is a collection of books combined together. When I say book in this post I am talking about one of these books, not the entire Bible.)

When it comes to reading it, don’t be afraid.

Just jump in there and try, even if you are uncomfortable or nervous.

Once you get started you might see it’s not as hard as you thought it would be!

Here are some steps to follow to help get you started reading:

Give yourself grace.

You cannot sit and read all of it at once.

You typically can’t even read a whole book, unless it’s one of the really short ones like Jude or 3rd John.

That’s okay, it’s not a race.

It’s an investment in your life, your faith walk, and God’s kingdom.

So take a deep breath and relax.

It’s not a race!

Start by finding a quiet spot and uninterrupted few minutes.

This might mean you have to get up a few minutes early. You could also use your lunch break at work, or time alone in the evening when the day has calmed down.

Category: Faith, God, Scripture Study, Teaching | LEAVE A COMMENT

See You At the Pole 2019

Today

7 a.m. (local time)

Please pray for the students who will be expressing their faith by gathering at their school’s flag pole this morning

if My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV)

For more information, please see the See You At the Pole website

Category: Faith, Life, Prayer | LEAVE A COMMENT

Global Week of Student Prayer 2019

Today marks the beginning of the Global Week of Student Prayer.

It is a time set aside to focus on praying for students, schools, teachers, and administrators.

The highlight of this week is Wednesday, September 25th, (7 a.m. local time) when students all over the country will gather at their school’s flag pole to pray together.

This year’s theme is “if…”.

It references the verse 2 Chronicles 7:14:

if My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (NIV)

I encourage you to spend time this week praying for our schools and their leaders.

Please also pray for Christian students to show up and pray that morning.

Pray they are a light in the darkness for the others to see.

Ask the Father to give them the words they need to share His love with their fellow students.

Today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders. It’s imperative we cover them in prayer as they grow so they will become the person God has called them to be.

If you would like more information, please check out the See You At the Pole website by clicking here.

Category: Faith, Life, Prayer | LEAVE A COMMENT

Conviction vs. Condemnation

There are two very similar things we experience concerning mistakes we make and sins we commit.

One is conviction, the other is condemnation.

I’m not talking about the condemnation we are under if we are not Christians. (You can read more about that condemnation here.)

I’m talking about what we feel concerning our sins and our regrets towards those sins.

Condemnation and conviction both speak to us about our sins but they come from two very different places.

Condemnation says what we did is bad, we’re no good, God might not even love us anymore.

Condemnation brings up past mistakes and sins as a way of trying to falsely prove we are of low worth.

It is demoralizing, discouraging, and deters us from trying.

It encourages us to give up.

These thoughts and ideas are from the enemy and/or our lack of understanding of who we are in Christ.

Conviction, on the other hand, says what we did was wrong and we need to apologize to God. We need to make things right.

It is correcting, revealing the truth of our errors and ways. It seeks to reconcile us to God.

Conviction is from God by way of the Holy Spirit speaking to us and pointing out our sins so we can repent and restore our relationship with God to its proper place.

A wise friend once told me,

“Condemnation makes you want to run FROM God, while conviction makes you want to run TO God.”

Wise words, indeed.

The whole point of condemnation is to get our eyes off Christ and what He did for us and on to our own insufficiency.

Don’t fall for this trick of the enemy.

Instead, when condemnation comes, remember, as a Christian we are no longer condemned.

Yes, we made a bad choice. Yes, we sinned.

But – it’s not the end of the world. We haven’t lost our chances with God. He hasn’t, and won’t, turn His back on us.

Instead of giving in to the condemnation and the tailspin of chaos it creates, we can go straight to God in prayer.

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)

We can tell Him what we are feeling. Ask Him to help us navigate it.

We can repent of our sin.

(Repent – to agree with God that He is right, that what we did was wrong, apologize, and commit to not doing it again.)

After repenting, it’s important to let go of it and refuse to go back to it. Once it’s dealt with, it’s dealt with. There’s no reason to revisit it.

Once we have repented, we are restored in our relationship with God. We can move on, being careful not to repeat the same sin.

Condemnation may want to take us back to the scene of the crime. We can’t let it. There’s no value in it.

Instead, rest in the knowledge that God’s grace is sufficient, walking in the assurance that now that the sin has been dealt with we can confidently move forward in our relationship with God.

Is there something you are feeling condemnation or conviction over? Will you take it to God in prayer?

For further reading

Romans 8:1 –There is now no condemnation...

Philippians 3:13-14 Forgetting what is behind and pressing on...

My post on being Condemned.

Category: Faith, God, Scripture Study | LEAVE A COMMENT

Condemned

One of the things I often hear people say about why they have not or cannot become a Christian is that they think they have done things that are so bad that God would never accept them.

They think they are condemned by what they have done.

And they are partially correct.

We are condemned because of our many sins.

God is perfect and Holy. He cannot tolerate sin anywhere near Him.

Because of our sins we are separated from God and cannot reconcile ourselves to Him.

Understand, though, it’s not just those who have done terrible things.

All of us have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. ~Romans 3:23 (NIV)

All of us.

This does not mean there is no hope for us or that we are no longer eligible to have a relationship with God.

Jesus came to earth, died on the cross, was buried in a tomb, raised from the dead, and ascended into heaven.

He did this to pay for our sins and reconcile us to God!

This payment makes atonement and releases us from condemnation.

It redeems and rescues us.

In order to receive this reconciliation and rescue we must do something in return.

We must accept this free gift as something done personally for us.

Scripture tells us how we must do it:

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. ~Romans 10:9-10 (NIV)

The truth is there is nothing you have done that is too big to be forgiven. NO MATTER WHAT IT IS!

Jesus is a really big Savior and He can redeem us from absolutely anything.

When He died on the cross to pay our sin debt He did not put a limit on the size, number, or sort of sins He would cover. He covered them all. He did it completely and willingly.

So, no matter what it is you have done it is not too big nor too bad for God to forgive through the blood of Christ that was shed on that cross at Calvary.

Once you have trusted Christ to be your Savior, you are completely redeemed and completely free from the guilt of your past sins.

No questions asked.

No exceptions.

You are redeemed, rescued, reconciled.

You are free!

So, whatever it is you are feeling condemned for, why don’t you trust Christ to take away all your sins and reconcile you to God so you can start life anew without the burden of old sins hanging over you?

For further reading

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, (Jesus) that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”(NIV)

Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”(NIV)

My post on Conviction vs. Condemnation

Category: Faith, God, Scripture Study | LEAVE A COMMENT

Philippians 4:6-7

One verse I often pray is Philippians 4:6-7 (read more about praying Scripture here).

⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (NIV)

The verses specifically tell us we are not to be anxious about anything.

At it’s core, being anxious means we are worried about a situation and how to handle it. We are concerned it won’t turn out like it should or that there is no hope.

But look at the rest of that sentence:

“…by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

In other words, when we are worried or upset about something we are to go to God and present our requests to Him. We do this by praying to Him.

We are to pray and ask God for what we need and for help with whatever the situation is.

We are to thank Him for His help and for considering our requests, trusting that He will move on the issue.

When we do this with an honest and humble heart, God responds by giving us His peace which guards our hearts and minds in Christ.

This is not just any peace. It’s a peace so wonderful it can’t even be understood.

It’s this peace we get when we trust God with our burdens that eliminates our anxiety.

It guards our hearts because we’ve chosen to trust God.

Some might say, “but He’s God. He already knows everything. Why doesn’t He just handle it?”

There are several reasons for that. Here are two:

1-He wants us to come to Him and ask because this improves our relationship with Him. By seeing Him respond to our requests, we see firsthand He does answer our prayers, which causes us to trust Him even more. This strengthens our faith and causes us to grow closer to Him. We are reminded that He is always there and that we can go to Him at any time.

2-He wants to remind us of Who He is. When we go to Him in prayer we are reminded that He is the One, True, Living God. He is the God who holds the world in His hands. By going to Him we are reminded of the proper order of things and that we were created for Him, not the other way around. This puts us back into proper alignment concerning authority and helps us to remember it is not about us, it is about Him.

It is this remembering who He is and putting Him in His proper place in our lives that allows us to live free of thinking we have to handle things ourselves, which is what causes the anxiety in the first place.

The next time you feel anxious, stop, pray, ask God to move on it, then thank Him for working in your life and your situation.

Then, trust and watch for Him to help you.

No, the situation might not always turn out the way you would like it to, but you can have the peace of knowing that God is working on it and that He will help you with it in a way only He can, and that whatever happens, He has His hand on it.

What situation will you prayerfully ask Him about today?

For further reading

“Come boldly unto the throne of God…” Hebrews 4:16 NIV
“We are His workmanship, created…” Ephesians 2:10 NIV

My post on How to Give Thanks
My followup post to this one: Philippians 4:6-7, Part 2

Category: Faith, New Testament, Scripture Study | LEAVE A COMMENT

Thanking God In the Bad Times

As Christians, we are called to be thankful to God.

It’s not that hard to thank Him for the good things that happen to us, but what about when bad things happen?

Do we thank Him then? Should we?

Look at 1 Thessalonians 5:18 –

“give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (NIV)

It says we are to give thanks in ALL circumstances.

Not just in the good ones. In the bad ones, too.

That can be hard!

How do we thank God in a situation where a loved one is ill?

Or, a relative is seriously injured in an accident? What if they die?

What if a partner leaves without warning?

Do we thank God in these situations?

The answer is yes, we do. In all of them.

No matter the circumstance or situation, there is always something to thank God for. Otherwise, He wouldn’t have told us to.

We can thank Him that they only broke one arm, not both. We can thank Him the illness isn’t worse. We can thank Him for the friends who step up to support and encourage us.

Even if the worst case scenario happens, there are still things we can thank God for.

We can thank Him for the privilege of having known that person and having them in our lives.

We can thank Him for how He blessed our time together.

We can thank God for being there for us; for His presence in our lives as He comforts and strengthens us to walk through this season of heartache.

We can thank God for knowing what is the best outcome for the situation, even when we don’t understand or agree with that outcome.

We can thank God for working in our lives, even when we can’t or won’t see it.

It may seem impossible at first, but if we will focus on God’s goodness and trust that as Creator of the Universe and Author and Finisher of our faith God knows best as He is working all things together, we will begin to see where He is working in the situation.

Then, we can thank Him for those specific things. This will open our eyes to even more things He is doing. More things to thank Him for.

The point is we are supposed to turn our hearts and eyes to God and to begin to thank Him for the good things in our lives despite this hard situation we are dealing with as we maintain our focus on Him and not on the things happening to and/or around us.

Will it be easy? Not necessarily. But as we begin to thank Him for His goodness and who He is, our heart will begin to soften and we will begin to feel His presence. This will give us peace and strength that will sustain us through the hard season.

Will it be painful? Often. But, out of that pain will come healing, growth, and learning.

It will be a chance to grow closer to Christ as we see God for who He truly is and begin to better understand that He really is both working in our lives and interested in comforting and healing us.

It is this seeing His presence and work in our lives and knowing He cares about each one of us that will make it so much easier to give thanks for all that He is doing for us, both in good seasons and bad.

What about you? Are you giving thanks to God in the season you’re in?

Isaiah 41:10

Someone in my life occasionally makes my life difficult for no apparent reason.

I’m not sure why but nothing I do ever pleases them.

To make matters worse, for a lot of reasons it is not someone I can just walk away from.

The last few days have been some of those days when they made things tough.

Yesterday was especially stressful.

I spent an entire day upset, almost to the point of tears.

I kept asking God, “Why is this happening?”, and, “Why won’t You do something?”.

Category: Faith, Prayer | LEAVE A COMMENT

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