Faith vs. Belief

I was having breakfast with a group of friends sometime ago and as women will do when they converse, we discussed our trials with family, work, etc. As we are all Christians, solutions included prayer and biblical precepts. Then all became quiet as we sipped our coffee and finished our eggs.

Presently, one of my companions broke the silence with an insightful question, "What is the difference between faith and belief?" Without a pause, I blurted, "Faith is believing that God can do all things; belief is believing that he will do them for you."

Some weeks have passed since that breakfast and as my eyesight has mended enough to use the computer, I decided to validate the words that had spewed from my mouth.

Faith comes from the French root, Fidere-to trust- sometime around the year 1250. This word was commonly attached to religious duty in fulfilling one's trust.

The history of the word 'Believe' surprised me. The word origin is from the Saxons meaning to hold dear or love. The word evolved in 1549 as an attachment to Christian believers, howevcr, the word was used as 'Believe On' rather than our present day 'Believe In'.

So we see that faith encompasses the corporate belief in God and our adherence to his precepts, but belief is the personal devotion and love of that faith.

"But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from law, although the law and the prophets bear witness to it, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction; since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as an expiation by his blood, to be received by faith." Romas 3:21-25 RSV

Faith is Not Blind

"Was blind, but now I see." Amazing Grace by John Newton

Since January 7, 2008, I have been blind in my left eye. Two operations and sedentary rest has not restored my sight or my housebound status. With a third surgery and another seven days of lying face down looming in my immediate future, I want to recount here what I now see.

• I see that family is not who shows up for birthday parties and holidays, but who shows up to cook breakfast and clean your bathroom.


• I see that sisters in Christ could learn a valuable lesson in ministering from the sisters in my family.


• I see that even lying face down, I can still minister to others with a phone in my hand and God's words in my mouthpiece.


• I see that it is not independence, but dependence on each other, that binds us together.


• I see that children survive on love, but thrive on being needed.


• I see that the stares from strangers are not aversion to my infirmity, but the beginnings of empathy.


• I see that a giving spirit not only gives graciously, but receives graciously.
• I see that even in the darkness, we can intercede prayfully for those around us.
• I especially see God's blessings in the cessation of an independent life.

May God Bless You, Indeed.

Freedom From Religion

Freedom from religion is the mantra of the aetheist, but I tell you beloved reader, I have adopted their mantra as well. "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." 2 Corinthians 3:17 RSV

This is a call to freedom for all who believe that their salvation comes from the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christ did not die to release us from the tyranny of Satan into the emotional and spiritual tyranny of man. As faith is a choice and belief, it is seated in our soul; the emotional portion of our being. Satan has devised a plan of controlling our salvation by standing ready with organized religion to control and restrain the spiritual freedom purchased by Christ on the cross. "For you were called to freedom brethren; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love be servants of one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' But if you bite and devour one another take heed that you are not consumed by one another." Galatians 5:13-15 RSV

Make your way with God first and guard your soul against the manipulations of man-made religions. Study God's word (Bible), talk and listen to God (prayer) and give him praises (worship) as a sign of your commission to Him. "Beware of false prophets (those who profess to speak the word of God), who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits." Matthew 7:15 RSV

Are those who profess to be from God - servants to their flock, or are they the masters of their flock? God called the shepherds to become servants, and as a shepherd moves the flock from green pasture to green pasture for physical sustenance, so shall our shepherds leads us for our spiritual sustenance. As a shepherd protects the flock from the attacks of wolves, so our shepherds shall protect us from the attacks of the world. A minister's first duty is to minister to his flock.

Guard your spirit, the new spirit that Christ purchased for you on the cross. As you chose Christ as your Lord and Savior with fear and trembling, choose a shepherd with the same care.

You Are The Salt Of The Earth

The year is 1828 and Mrs. Child's book, The American Frugal Housewife, has been published providing sound household advice gleaned from generations of women before her. She cites: "It is good economy to salt your own beef as well as pork."

For centuries, man knew that salting provided preservation. The Egyptians used salt in the mummification of their dead, wars were fought over salt rights, history shows that salt was used as currency and it was the first disinfectant. Every living plant and animal on earth requires salt to survive, and yet when Matthew 5:13 is quoted, Christians are called the seasoning of the earth, as though our main purpose is to make life more palatable. Belief in Jesus does make life more palatable, but I believe 'our salt' provides a greater purpose.

We are the Preservation of the Earth. Each Christian carries God's Spirit within them; the Holy Spirit. His Spirit, carried inside of us, protects the earth from evil. When Christians pray, they bring the Kingdom of God to earth. The Kingdom of God is contained in our songs of worship and praise. We bring His Kingdom to earth by carrying His Spirit wherever we go.

We are the salt of the earth it is true, but in addition to seasoning, our main purpose is to hold evil at bay through the Spirit that we carry inside.

In the Beginning

“I am a good person.” Most of us believe this statement as we measure ourselves against the world, for when we measure ourselves against what we read in the papers or see on the screen – big or small – we are good people. We grade ourselves on a sliding scale, and frankly, most of us measure up pretty well. We were raised with a set of values, and we carried those values into our schools, work and perhaps our marriages. We work to provide for our families, raise our children with the same values we hold dear, and help others who are struggling to do the same. We may regularly attend a church of our choice and closely follow the theology of our religion. Yet intimately, we know the constant struggle to maintain our goodness.

We curse the driver who cut us off on the way to work. Pent up stress from our workday will unload on our spouse or children in a verbal tirade. Internet surfing or late lunches steal precious time from our employer. Procrastination and the care of our material possessions steal our time. Envy rises when our neighbor has installed a pool, and jealously rises when someone pays too much attention to our spouse. There are family members we only tolerate because of a past hurt, and our ‘white’ lies stack up like building blocks around our souls. Comparatively, we are good people, but we are not the person God created.

Sometime ago, I volunteered to lead a Bible Study for a small group of women. They were a diverse group with empty nesters, young adults, established and new Christians, along with unbelievers. The Bible study followed national events that had turned our security into horror, our trust into fear and our love into questioning. In addition, my inner life paralleled the nation with turmoil, misunderstanding and long buried pain. After prayerful consideration, I chose spiritual warfare as my topic.

I wanted to better understand the existence of evil, how it works, how it affects each of us and more importantly, how can we combat the evil we see around us each day. I questioned why God gave us a free will knowing that we would use that will to turn away from him. I examined the disparity between living under the laws of God and living under his grace. I was confused by the letdown felt by new Christians after the first joyous flush of salvation had mysteriously left them. I could not understand the difference between judgment and discernment or the conflict between forgiveness and self-protection. Although I had witnessed the power of prayer in my life, I wanted to move beyond the ‘genie in the bottle’ type of prayer, and finally, why did God place so much emphasis on praise and worship?

There is a difference between knowledge and wisdom for knowledge can be learned, but wisdom must be earned. Although I had chosen the topic for my Bible study, God had imparted the knowledge and the wisdom. Each week as I studied the scriptures in preparation for my class he revealed to me meanings that I had not before perceived. God also brought me through experiences during that time, and since, that only clarified and confirmed what he was trying to show me.

So again I say the knowledge and the wisdom belong to God and so does the title; for they are God’s Weapons of Mass Construction.