A Prayer of Thanksgiving

Today You answered my prayer

You broke through the storm clouds

And brought a much-awaited blessing

I know You are my Provider

But I knew it before

Although I could not see Your provision

Thank you for the Red Sea parting in my life

Your hand on our lives was evident today

Thank you Lord!

I will tell of your wonders

I could not earn your promise

Your miracles are gifts from Your generous hand

All I can say, all I can declare is that I am blessed

Because of you and not because of me

Thank You Lord, amen.

Overcoming Faith

But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it. Numbers 14:24

Twelve men were appointed by Moses to spy out a particular region. The Israelites had been promised by God a certain territory. Although it was theirs, they would need to conquer its inhabitants. When the twelve men returned from their mission to the Promised Land, ten of them gave a bad report. Although the land was rich in vegetation and resources, they feared the giants that lived there and believed they could not overtake them. 

Two of the spies, Caleb and Joshua, had a different spirit. Their faith in God dominated their vision. They believed God could give the land into their hands, but the Israelite people sided with the naysayers.  They decided not to overtake the land. This greatly displeased the Lord. After all without faith it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6). 

God judged the people. He told Moses that all the Israelites except Caleb and Joshua would die in the wilderness in a forty-year span. They would never enter the Promised Land. Later, Caleb and Joshua did possess the Promised Land. God said of Caleb that he followed him wholeheartedly. His faith was preeminent, it had full dominance. 

During this time when the threat of a virus is spoken, when financial lack may seem present, we have a choice. We can either cave in to fear or we can stand in faith. Let’s be like Caleb and Joshua. Let’s believe God for great things. Let’s allow our faith to cause us to overcome. 

This is not to downplay the suffering of some during this time whether from illness or financial difficulty.  But we can trust God to bring us through. He will deliver us from our circumstances. He is faithful and he will help us to overcome in His way and His time. 

During this unprecedented season, we should practice safety, but let’s not forget to walk in faith. Only then will God be pleased, and only then will we see God move on our behalf.

He's Not Counting

“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them.”    2 Corinthians 5:18-19 NIV

The word “gospel” means good news. Jesus called his disciples to preach this message to all men.  But what is so marvelous about Christianity?  Why would anyone want to embrace Jesus and his way of living?

The good news cannot be understood without the delivery of some bad news first.  The truth is that we all fall short from God’s holy standard, and we all deserve spiritual death (Romans 3:9-18, 23).  All of us without exception have blown  it, yet God’s standard is still perfection. He said that we are not to lie, but who of us have not told an  untruth?  Jesus said if we have  lusted after a woman or a man, we have committed sexual sin in our hearts (Matthew 5:27-30). He also equated unbridled anger with murder (Matthew 5:21-22).  The Lord not only judges our actions, he weighs our hearts as well.  The honest conclusion for us is that we are all guilty.  To presume innocence of sin reveals a heart of pride, and pride is the sin that God hates the most. 

However, if we place our trust in Jesus and what he did for us at the cross, God no longer counts our sins against us.  He wipes the slate clean.  Jesus willingly gave his life so we could be forgiven. His sinless life became the perfect sacrifice to appease God’s anger towards us because of our sin.  When we place our trust in him as the sacrifice for our sins, he gives us eternal life, and we can begin a wonderful relationship with God.

God’s judgment towards us fell solely upon Jesus as he hung on a blood-stained cross.  After three days, Christ victoriously rose from the grave.  Now the Lord longs to embrace each of us in his love and mercy.  He simply asks us to turn from our sin and give our lives completely to him.  He will help us do this, and he will accept us just as we are.  If you haven’t trusted Jesus for your salvation, why not pray with me...?

Dear Father God,     

 I admit I am a sinner.  I am sorry for living in ways that displease you. Please forgive me.  I repent of my sin.  Thank you for not counting my sins against me.   Lord Jesus I place my trust in you.  I believe that you died in my place, and I now accept your gift of eternal life.  I choose to follow you here on earth.  In the Name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

Congratulations! You have just made the most important decision of your life.  God is your Father, and heaven  is your home.  Here are some tips to help you on your newfound journey with Christ.

• Read the Bible daily.  You can start in the book of John.
• Pray regularly.  Prayer is simply talking to God.
• Tell others about your faith in Jesus.
• Attend a Bible believing church regularly.                
• No matter what happens, know that God loves you.  If you sin, He will forgive you, if you only admit your fault to Him and decide to do what’s right.

God bless you on your new journey with Him.         

© Copyright 2017 by Tom Toya

A Prayer for These Times

Dear Mighty and Holy God,

We come before you today. These are unprecedented times. We ask that you would move mightily in our nation and in all the nations of the world. We bind the spirit of fear that would try to put people in a panic. We ask for your healing and saving power to sweep across our nation and the world. Let your people arise and share Your love and healing power. Let them proclaim your good news. Give us boldness and compassion to reach this world for you. Protect us as we abide safely under your wings. In Jesus name we pray, amen.

These Trying Times

God is my refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1

These are trying times. The hearts of the nations have been stirred by something as microscopic and seemingly insignificant as a virus.  Many are fearing for their lives. It is important that we be cautious, but we should not let the chaos flood our souls.

We can trust the Lord, through these difficult days, and we can also be a light to others. God is our Protector and Healer. He can prevent us from the Corona virus, but if we or someone we know should succumb to it, he can heal us from it.

We can show kindness and mercy to those around us. Our hands are healing hands. The Bible says in Mark 16 that believers shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. We can bring the miraculous power of God as well as His gospel to those that are suffering.  We can also pray and intercede for the nations. People everywhere need our prayers.

Let’s not cave in to the pressure that wants to swirl around our heads. Instead, let’s lift high the banner of love as we offer to others Christ’s mercy, healing and the message of the gospel.

In Spirit and Truth

God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth." John 4:24

I do not like the idea of God being strict. I love basking in his kindness and rejoicing in his blessing, but God is not only Spirit, he is also Truth.

Sometimes, our Lord can be firm with us. He ways are black and white without a shade of gray. We are not to bend on some things. God's word is absolute truth.

When we relate with people, we must do so with grace sprinkled with salt or truth. We are to always love those in our sphere of influence, but we must do so within the boundaries that God's word outlines for us.

How are we doing at this? I, for one, needed the reminder.

Bond-Servant

As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he shows us his mercy. Psalm 123:2

 As to all my affairs, Tychicus, who is a much-loved brother and faithful assistant and fellow bond-servant in the Lord, will give you all the information. Colossians 4:7 AMP

A bond-slave or bond-servant is a slave who was freed but chose to serve their master out of their own free will. We are to serve God in this way. Not out of compulsion or coercion but from a willing heart that desires to serve and put him first.

Our eyes should always be on our Lord. We look to him for guidance, sustenance and mercy. We gaze upon him with love, adoration, reverence and confident faith. He is our all in all, our everything. We are hopelessly indebted to him for giving us his Son as the sacrifice for our sins.

We have been freed from a life of slavery, where we were chained to sin and sorrow, now we can serve our Lord and each other from emancipated hearts.

Perhaps you believe you have accepted Christ as your Savior and Liberator yet you do not know the Lord experientially as your Master. He is Lord of all and for you to effectively know the Lord, you must come to a place of surrender. He must be first in your life. Jesus said, “Repent and believe the good news!” Mark 1:15. It is not enough for is to believe in the Lord. We must repent of our sins. We must willingly make Jesus our Lord and Master. Then we shall be saved.

If you have not made Jesus your Lord and Savior, come and pray along with me…

Dear Father God,

Thank you for sending Jesus to die for me and to wash away all my sins. I believe Jesus rose from the dead. I repent of my sins and I choose to make him the Lord of my life. Thank you for saving me not on the basis of what I have done but on the basis of your great mercy. I choose to be your bond-servant. In Jesus name I pray, amen.

Once you have made this wonderful commitment, there are some things that you should do…

Find a good church where the Bible is preached without compromise but with compassion and attend it often.

Pray and read the Bible regularly.

Tell others of your newfound faith in God.