A Helpful Way to Increase Your Faith

Ah, that dreaded F word. No, not that one. Another one. Many of us seem to struggle with this one. It’s the topic of faith. We know we’re supposed to have faith. We know that the more faith we have, the more likely we are to realize our goals and desires. Yet we still often times lack this important ingredient.

I read a BIble verse earlier that reminded me about a post I had written about two years ago based on a sermon by pastor Andy Stanley. The verse is from Romans 4:21. It is based on Abraham who, even though he and his wife who desired a child, yet he and his wife were far beyond the age of conceiving children. Regardless, Abraham still had faith. The verse says he was “fully convinced that God had the power to do what He had promised.”

One reason we sometimes lack faith is that we try to figure out how God is going to act on our behalf. We tend to over-complicate things and wonder too much if, when, and how he will act. This often trips us up and only delays the process. Here is the key I learned and shared in the previous post... don’t focus on whether or how God will answer your prayer. Instead, know that he can! Just have that faith. Be fully convinced that he can. I think we all know He can do anything, and can certainly manage the small details of our lives. The key is to lean on that understanding.

Know that God can do it. Focus on that, do what you believe you are being led to do, and let the remaining details take care of themselves. I’ve seen for myself how this automatically increases the level of faith. I believe you will experience the same. Enjoy the blessings 🙂

A Christian Atheist?

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Wow, Facebook has been providing a bunch of writing memories lately. My previous post was based on a quote I had shared several years ago. Today, I was shown an article I had written on the same date in 2010. I wrote this on another site I wrote with before this one. I found it interesting as I read it, so I decided to share it here. Is there really such a thing as a Christian atheist? Find out here…

There are certain things that don’t go together in this world. For example, in our country there are no Republican Democrats. There are other examples to continue this little game: rich poor people; people that love the Yankees AND the Red Sox; country city slickers, etc. There are very few, if any that would fit into both of each category.

So what about my title? Do Christian Atheists exist? I will take the cop-out answer of yes and no. Now some of you are already thinking I’ve flown off the deep end. There’s no such thing, you say. Partially true, I reply. But there’s more to this story.

First, let’s define both words. What is a Christian? The obvious answer is someone who believes in Jesus Christ, that he died on the cross, and was resurrected on the third day. Of course, there is much more to it, but that’s the basic definition. An atheist, as defined by dictionary.com, is a person who denies or disbelieves the existence of a supreme being or beings. So how can we have both at once?

I will answer that shortly. My main point is that I am reading an excellent book called “The Path to Prosperity”, by James Allen. It is an incredible book about the effects positive thinking can have on our lives. However, it is the powerful statement of negative thoughts that really gets my attention. He says, “where there is fear, worry, anxiety, doubt, trouble, chagrin, or disappointment, there is lack of faith….to fear, worry and doubt is to deny, to dis-believe. (p. 36) Wow! Did he really say that?

At first, I had the inclination to throw the book down. I couldn’t though because it is an e-book, and the whole computer would go with it. Besides, I’m not one for losing my temper anyway. However, as I thougth about this more, I realized how right the author is. We are commanded throughout the bible to have faith. There are countless stories about miracles that happened because of one’s faith. There are also many verses commanding us not to worry, create anxiety, or dwell on negative circumstances.

I am a Christian. I think I’m a pretty good one too. However, after reading this, I humbly realize I am part atheist. Every time I worry, doubt or fear, I am saying I don’t believe in the power and miracles God has for me. I am saying Jesus died in vain for me. I am saying it is more important for me to dwell on negative thoughts than to pray with faith for positive results. If I were God I would be seriously offended! Fortunately, He is very forgiving, and it is me I am hurting, not Him.

Once again, these words hit me hard and really made me think (that’s the sign of a great book in my opinion). It is as I make a much greater effort to focus my thoughts on the positive blessings God has for me that I share this with you. I am not here to call you an atheist. However, it is my desire to remind you again of: the power within you; using that power to be a blessing to others and making a difference in this world; and focusing faithfully on God and the blessings he has for you. I want to be known as a faithful, believing Christian. Hopefully you do too : )

Have an excellent day!

Let Faith Prevail

Earlier today, I was going through some memories on Facebook. A year ago, I posted an amazing quote that a friend had shared. This is what it said… “if a microscopic virus can do this much damage, imagine what mustard seed sized faith can do.”

Unfortunately, there was no name credited to that amazing quote. I found it a year ago, as the shock of our world shutting down was still settling in. I will first say that what I am about to share is in no way attempt to downplay the virus that has changed our world. My family and I have been extremely lucky that none of us has had the virus, nor have we lost anyone close to us because of it. However, I do know that many other people are not so fortunate, and as much as possible, I want to be sensitive to that.

As I reflected again on the days that led up to our world shutdown (I’ve been doing that often lately as we’ve been at the one year mark) and those in the early weeks of it, there was one word that stood out to me during the entire time…shock. I was shocked that for the first time in my lifetime, we were facing a global pandemic. I knew it was real, but it also shocked me of how our society succumbed to this disease in fear. Even with this virus upon us, I never in a million years thought our whole world would shut down. Looking back, it appears that we probably needed to. However, I was still shocked, upset, a bit angry, and feeling a number of other emotions during this time as I watched those in the world live in fear of a microscopic virus. People were overtaken, brainwashed, and influenced by everything from news media, social media, politics, as well as family and friends in their own circles.

If I’m being honest, I will certainly admit that I had my times of fear and doubt as well. However, it seems like every time I did, God provided another reminder of His presence. I was shown Psalm 91 on numerous occasions in a short period of time. This Psalm specifically says that those who rely on God will be protected from every deadly disease. Other Bible verses assured me that God was with my at all times. I believed that my family and I would not be affected by this virus, and even if we were, we would still be protected and healed quickly. It was this quote that ultimately put me in a place of confidence and faith.

I share this with you now not to brag about how blessed my family and I are and have been with this (and everything else). Instead, I am reminded again that we have two main choices in life. Fear and Faith. We can allow “microscopic viruses” or imagined worries to turn our worlds upside down and do damage to our relationships, careers, and general enjoyment of life. Or we can make the other choice. We can have faith instead. God promises that if we have faith even the size of a mustard seed (the smallest seed that produces one of the biggest harvests) and have amazing impacts in this world.

Which would you rather experience? I understand that it’s often easier said than done. I’m still good at allowing difficult circumstances to steal my joy and keep me awake at night. However, I have learned that the more I have faith in God and His promises, even if it’s just a little, it makes a major difference in the level of peace, satisfaction, and success in my life. Let us not allow the invisible, microscopic seeds of doubt and fear to upend our lives. Instead, let us plant those mustard seeds of faith that flourish into amazing fruits of excellence and success in life. God is with us through it all, and with Him there, you can only succeed. Enjoy the blessings 🙂

I Want To Sleep Like Jesus

An interesting thing happened today. I was reviewing some old articles I had written in the past. I then realized I had some drafts of unpublished articles that I had forgotten about. I came upon this one that I began writing… in 2015!! The article was completely done, but I never published it. Usually when that happens, I believe it’s because God wants to use it for something. I guess it wasn’t supposed to be published until now, and perhaps you are the one who needed to see it! Whether that’s the case or not, I hope you enjoy it…

 

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is one where the disciples of Jesus are on a boat and caught in a violent storm. They are in a panic and are fearing that they will drown. Amidst the panic, they come to their senses and realize that Jesus can save them. But where is He? In the middle of this storm, they find Him in a corner of the boat…asleep! The disciples wake Him up and ask for His miracle-working intervention. Jesus wakes up, rebukes them for their lack of faith, and immediately calms the storm.

If I was one of the disciples, I am sure I would be wondering…”how could He sleep during this intense storm?” I am sure that is exactly what was going through their minds. However, Jesus challenged them. He asked them why they had such little faith and why they were so afraid. I also believe He provided an example of the faith He was trying to promote. There was chaos. A crazy storm that was about to destroy them. Yet He was sleeping soundly through it all. He KNEW that God had control of the entire situation, and all He had to do was say the word and the perilous situation would be overtaken by the wonderful peace that only God can bring.

As I reflect on this story, I realize that this is the faith I want to have. There will be storms around me. However, if my faith is strong enough, I can sleep peacefully, knowing God will rebuke the storm and bring peace. The same is true for you. You may think Jesus is asleep as the storms rage around you. If so, just wake Him up! Ask Him to calm the storm, and He will respond. Even if it doesn’t immediately disappear, He will provide a peace that only He can provide.

Jesus was able to sleep peacefully as the storms raged around the boat He was on. He had 100% faith that the boat would never come close to going down as long as God had control of it. That is faith that He shared with His disciples, and wants to allocate to us. Know that God is in complete control, and you will sleep like a baby 🙂

A Faithful Way to Bring Great Results

In my study of the power of the mind, I have read many great books. There are some that I have re-read several times. One I am re-reading now is “The Power of the Subconscious Mind” by Joseph Murphy. If you haven’t read this book, and you are seeking powerful new knowledge about the power of your mind, I strongly suggest getting a hold of this book.

As I was reading the book today, an excellent reminder stood out that I feel compelled to share. It is the concept of faith. I’ve shared often about the importance of faith, and that once your faith is strong enough, any necessary action automatically follows. I’ve also shared (and so have millions of others including Jesus) how God acts on our behalf when we have faith. The author of this book provides a very simple but powerful definition of faith. He says, “faith is accepting as true what your senses and reason deny, i.e shutting out of the little, rational, analytical, conscious mind and embracing an attitude of complete reliance on the inner power of your subconscious mind.”(p. 67). I don’t have the necessary time to review the differences between the conscious and subconscious minds, but the basic one is this… your conscious mind is your thinking and logical mind, and it is limited. Your subconscious is the part of the mind where all of your beliefs and memories are stored. It is also connected to the “mind of Christ” we are told we all have as part of us (I Corinthians 2:16). This part of our mind is unlimited.

It is the subconscious mind that enables us and leads us to manifest our desires. Our job is to make sure the subconscious believes this manifestation is possible. For once it does, it is only a matter of time before your dream is realized. One of the most powerful ways to do this is another Bible verse the author mentions in the same chapter. It’s one I share on a regular basis on this site. In fact, it’s my favorite verse in the Bible… Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours(Mark 11:24). In whatever manner you can, your greatest responsibility is to see your wish as already done. See it as already here now. See it as totally accomplished. Act as if you already have what you are seeking. When you do these things, several great things happen. First, you are having that faith that the author says is accepting as true what your senses and reason deny. Also, the Bible verse clearly states that if you believe that you have received it it will be yours!!

I understand this is sometimes easier said than done. The subconscious mind is not easily convinced of new beliefs, especially if you have had the same old negative beliefs for a long time. It may take some time, but it is possible and your beliefs will change if you are persistent. I will say this though…once your subconscious beliefs are changed, you will see the corresponding situations manifest on the outside. There are several ways I have learned to do this:

1. Visualization. This is the easiest and most fun way to see and experience your wish as an accomplished fact. In your mind, you see yourself living your dream. You feel the corresponding emotions. You see what you want to see and do. This is powerful because the subconscious mind cannot tell the difference between a real and imagined event. As you visualize, your subconscious mind believes this is actually happening. It begins to believe its truth, thus increasing your level of faith. Remember, the Bible also says “according to your faith, it will be done for you.” (Matthew 9:29). And you are believing that you are receiving it. And you will!
2. Positive Affirmations. Instead of using images to change your subconscious mind, with affirmations you use words. Most of your current beliefs have been developed by words, either things others told you or you told yourself. With positive affirmations, you are doing this purposely.
3. Hypnosis. Sometimes, it is difficult to maintain the necessary focus to get the maximum effects from visualization. And sometimes your mind fights back with your current beliefs when you try to change them with affirmations. When you use hypnosis, you are putting yourself in a deeply relaxed state. More importantly, you are shutting out your conscious mind and all of its rational beliefs based only on your senses. Instead, it leaves your subconscious mind open to suggestion without fighting it. In a hypnotic state, you are much more able to change those subconscious beliefs. Once that happens, you start living out the new beliefs, the ones you want to see happen.

I realize I am not providing a wealth of detailed information on these topics. I have written about each one in far more detail in other articles and books. You can click on the links I have provided here and check out my book links on this webpage as well for more detailed info about them.

The bottom line is that, in order to change your outer circumstances, you must first change your inner circumstances. When your subconscious mind believes something to be true, then it is, and you will soon experience its truth. Remember to accept your wish as true, even though your senses and logical mind deny it. Believe in your mind that you already have what you desire, and act accordingly. Act with the gratitude and joy you would have if you actually experienced it with our senses. That is true faith. God promises that it is yours if you believe it. Enjoy the blessings 🙂

The One Absolutely Necessary Ingredient For Rapid Manifestation

Everyone wants to manifest their greatest desires as quickly as possible, myself included. There are several ways to make that happen. However, there is one factor that stands out as the most necessary for the rapid manifestation of your goals and living the life you want to live.

What is that necessary element? One word describes it. It’s called belief. When you believe that what you desire is on its way to you, that’s when you will see it manifest. On the other hand, if you don’t believe, it takes much longer for your desire to be realized.

Two of my favorite Bible verses attest to this. I was reminded of one recently, which is what inspired me to write this article. It is Matthew 21:22 which says, “and if you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” It doesn’t get any simpler or more obvious than that. Now, some people get caught up in a religious tangle with this verse. They argue back, “yeah but only if it’s God’s will.” I can understand that argument. After all, God’s will is more significant than anything in my life or yours. However, I get around this in two ways. First of all, I see the word anything in some versions of this verse. The version I used says “whatever you ask for.” I feel like as long as I am asking for something that God would approve of, I’m right to ask. As long as I’m not asking for something that goes against His word, I’m not wrong to ask. I also know that God has our best interests in mind. God has said no to my prayers before. However, I know my prayers were still answered. That’s because EVERY TIME a particular prayer was rejected, I received something far better than I could have imagined. The same is true for you. In the case that God doesn’t allow a particular desire to manifest for you, know that something even better is coming for you. However, don’t get caught up in whether God may answer your wish or not. Just know and believe that He can.

Another verse that shows the importance of belief for the rapid manifestation of desires is Mark 11:24. This verse actually has the same context as the previous one. It is worded differently, but the concept is the same… “therefore I tell you, everything that you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” This is my favorite verse in the entire Bible because it takes the concept of belief and faith to a higher level. Not only do you believe that God can do what you’re asking, you’re believing that it’s already done! Since it’s already done, it’s just a matter of time until it manifests. This kind of belief indeed accelerates the process!

How do you fix the belief in your mind that it’s already done? I often discuss the concepts of visualization and affirmations at this site. When you use visual images to picture your life as it would be with your manifested desire, or speak words of confirmed completion and feel the corresponding emotions, you are creating the necessary belief to shorten the timeline of your goal’s arrival.

This is a topic I will continue to discuss with future posts, but I wanted to share one more key idea. The Bible also says “faith without works is dead” which means that we have to take action in addition to maintaining a high level of belief. So why is faith necessary? It’s because you are much more likely to act if you are confident that something can be done successfully. I know this is true in my own case. When I don’t have a strong belief that I can do something successfully, I am much more likely to procrastinate and hesitate to take the necessary action. When it comes to things I know I can do and I have the strong belief that I will be successful, I have no problem finding the time and taking action to complete the task. I have also learned that, when my level of faith and belief is high, the corresponding actions occur naturally. I don’t feel like I’m forcing anything or working. Everything seems to flow so much more easily. When you think and act with the belief that your desire is already done, you tend to act with greater confidence, which also enhances the quality of whatever action your taking, thus helping the visual results appear much quicker.

Remember, God will grant you whatever you ask for in prayer (or something better) if you believe. Believe that He can bless you and that he definitely wants to bless you abundantly (God delights in the prosperity of His servant – Psalm 35:27). Your job is to simply believe this, and the fact that anything you desire is already an accomplished fact. Visualize this, proclaim it, and feel joyful and thankful. Keep attentive in prayer to determine what further steps you need to take, and move in that direction. I have seen the amazing results of this process in my own life, and I know you will too. Enjoy the blessings 🙂

Where to Focus Your Faith

Faith can be a touchy subject sometimes. We’re supposed to have it (the Bible says without faith it is impossible to please God), but it is often difficult because we are supposed to believe in what our senses are not yet telling us. It is also difficult because things don’t always work out the way we expect, and sometimes opposite of the way we want. Even though it is for our own good when God doesn’t answer a prayer the way we want, it hurts! We have prayed for the healing of loved ones who did not heal. We have prayed for “the one” to spend the rest of our life with, and they don’t show up. We have prayed for an increase in finances only to have more expenses instead.

I am not trying to paint a negative picture here. God always hears our prayers and answers in our best interest every time. The problem is that if someone has been hurt by difficult circumstances, regardless of the fact that God has them in our lives for good, it is very difficult to trust God and have faith in Him. I get it because I’ve been there.

My faith is generally good, though there are still plenty of times where doubt creeps in. The other night I watched a sermon from Andy Stanley on the topic of faith. I know I was led there by God because what I heard could have potentially increased my faith exponentially. I wanted to share this with you, especially if you happen to be struggling with your faith these days.

The main idea that struck me was this…. instead of focusing on what God will do for you, focus on what God CAN do for you. He references a Bible verse, Matthew 8:2 where Jesus heals a man of leprosy. The man kneels before Him and says, “if you are willing you can make me clean.” He knows Jesus can heal him. However, he leaves it in His will to do so.

Why is this focus much more effective? The explanation the pastor gave was this… when we focus on what God will do, we are asking on shaky ground. It is great to have faith that something you pray for will happen. However, as I said before, God doesn’t always answer the way we would expect. You are not 100% sure of what God will do, so that leaves doubt, and at least some wonder if God will come through, especially if you are remembering other times where your prayer wasn’t answered as desired. On the other hand, when you pray and focus on what God CAN do, your faith is based on 100% assurance. You know God can do ALL things. Nothing is impossible with Him. The leper acknowledged this in his prayer.

This is very powerful to me because it provided an incredible peace. In fact, I was immediately tested on this. In the middle of that same night, I woke up and heard water running in my basement. I realized that it was the sump pump that keeps the water out, and it wasn’t shutting off. It wasn’t flooding, but that potential was there. It was 1:30 am, so there was no one to call. All I felt like I could do was pray. And I prayed in the way I learned a few hours before. Sure, I wondered if I may still awake to a flood. However, I prayed knowing that God could easily fix this problem. I left it up to Him how and with what level of difficulty or damage. After I said the prayer that way, I felt a great peace. I certainly didn’t want a basement flood to happen, but I knew that even if it did, it was still for my good somehow. The next morning, within a few hours, I had someone here to fix and resolve the problem with just a small cost.

Once again, when you focus your faith on what God can do instead of what He will do, your faith is based on 100% assurance. There is no doubt He can do anything. Instead of trying to believe God will come through for me, my prayers are like, “I know you can do this. And I pray that you do.” Unlike praying for what He will do, which can lead to some wavering because of the uncertainty, this type of prayer allows me to focus more on His promises. That actually increases my faith even more!

For me, I feel like it has taken my faith to a much higher level. It has increased my confidence and trust in God, and I am more ready to accept whatever outcome He has for me. It has also brought me closer to Him. Also, I firmly believe you will receive many positive answers to your prayers the way Jesus answered the leper. “I am willing” is what He said in the next verse. And the leper was healed.

I will share a link to this sermon here. The ironic thing is that this is only a small piece of it and not even the main point. However, it has stuck with me, and as mentioned, it is a major faith booster.

I challenge you to focus your prayers this way. Focus mainly on what God CAN do, and leave what He will do to Him. I strongly believe your faith will grow too. Enjoy the blessings 🙂

Will Your Fears Come to Pass?

I received some excellent information from my pastor the other day. He said 99% of our fears never come to pass. I don’t know the exact source of this information, but I certainly believe it.

Fear is one of the greatest reasons we don’t reach our goals. Now, knowing that what we fear almost never occurs in reality, don’t let it stop you! Instead of focusing on fear and self-imposed limitation, focus on what great possibilities exist, and the unlimited potential within you.

Many times in the Bible, God says do not fear, but be strong and courageous. Notice what happens when this advice is followed. Miracles happen and conquests are made.

It’s ok to receive fearful thoughts. Those will always arrive. The key is to dismiss those thoughts, and shift your thinking to faithful thoughts that will enable you to act on and realize your dreams. By doing so, your dreams will come to pass more than 99% of the time. Enjoy the blessings 🙂

Turning Fear Into Faith

What is one of the biggest reasons you are not reaching your goals? The answer is most likely fear. It is amazing how crippling fear is. It is often the one deterrent that prevents us from living the life we want to live.

On the other hand, faith is one of the greatest reasons for successfully accomplishing your goals. In all of the great miracles in the Bible and even today, faith is an integral part of the miracle taking place.

How do you go from fear to faith? I describe several ways in an article I wrote called For Removing Fears Try This. If you are having difficulty removing the fears that prevent you from moving forward, I recommend this article to you.

Don’t let fear paralyze you. Turn it into the necessary faith to make your dreams come true. Enjoy the blessings 🙂

Faith That Your Desire Is Already Here

It is said that one of the most efficient ways to rapidly manifest your desires is to imagine that you already have it. I have seen this proof in my own life. Besides, the Bible says that if you believe you already have what you ask for, it will be yours.

The problem is that this faith is not always easy to maintain, especially when the time to realize your desires is much longer than you would like.

Many of you already know some of the popular Bible verses about faith. The most common is the definition provided in Hebrews which labels faith as the assurance of things hoped for (knowing what you want) and evidence of what we don’t see. I often refer to this verse, and I was recently shown another one that I never really pondered before. This verse sheds some powerful light on some concepts I have learned in the past and really helped put things together for me. I hope it does the same for you.

The verse is Romans 4:17. It says that God gives life to the dead, and calls into being things that were not. Another translation says He speaks of future events with as much certainty as if they were already past. What this tells me is that with God, your desire already exists as a completed event. It’s already in His hands. When you lean on Him to bring what doesn’t exist into manifestation, you are in essence demonstrating the assurance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen.

I remind you again that your entire, completed future is in God’s hands. He has it completed and already mapped out. What this tells me, is that in Him, what we desire already exists. I believe you can manifest your desires quickly if you can see the future events you desire “with as much certainty as if it were already past”. I believe this is the type of faith God is looking for, and when He sees it in you, He will be quicker to act on your behalf.

When you realize that your desires already exists in God’s kingdom, and see it as something already in progress, you are following the Bible verse alluded to earlier about believing that you already have it. Again, Jesus PROMISES that this type of faith will result in you receiving what you desire.

This concept never really made sense to me, but this verse from Romans has certainly clarified it for me. I hope I can help you do the same, and help you realize that God sees your wish as an already accomplished fact. When you align with Him and this belief, it will be a past tense manifestation in reality. I challenge you to reflect on this and apply it in your life. Please share when the blessings arrive 🙂