Mountain-Moving Faith

April 25, 2023 Gracie

A Perspective On Mountain-Moving Faith

Without a doubt, the prettiest mountains I’ve ever seen are the Grand Tetons located in northwestern Wyoming.

Located several miles from our vacation spot in Jackson Hole, the majestic snow-covered peaks were hard to miss on the already stunning landscape.

Simply breathtaking.

When I see the splendor of God’s creation like that, I am overwhelmed with gratitude and the fact that I worship the One who created it all.

Mountain-Moving Faith

Do you remember this Bible verse in the Book of Mark?

These are the words of Jesus to His disciples:

Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted to him. – Mark 11:23, (NASB).

It’s a perplexing verse for some and not at all about getting what we ask for.

The verse describes having complete trust in God’s providence, no matter what the final outcome or whether we understand it or not.

We must have the courage to stand on His Word . . . always.

Of course He did not mean they were to go about moving mountains, but that they were to lay hold of faith in God, a “mountain moving” type of faith. – as quoted in Precept Austin.org.

Sometimes we face mountain-sized challenges in our lives.

Challenges like,

A debilitating illness

Financial concerns

An atheistic teenager

Marriage troubles

Can you relate?

We pray and pray, but we may not get the answers quickly like we were hoping for.

Even so, God still loves us and has our best interests at heart.

He is Sovereign, and even though “we” may not understand the “why’s” of a situation, God knows every detail.

In a nutshell, He makes no mistakes.

“Perspective” is important.

Having a godly perspective may not bring immediate relief to our prayer concerns, but it does recognize and honor God’s omniscient holiness.

God is good all the time and will always work things for His glory, even the hard things.

Mountain-Moving Encouragement

Recently, I came across a wonderful poem about moving mountains.

As the author says, “mountains can turn into blessings in disguise.”

Please enjoy.

Moving Mountains

Lord, I’ve never moved a mountain and I guess I never will.
All the faith that I could muster wouldn’t move a small ant hill.
Yet I’ll tell you, Lord, I’m grateful for the joy of knowing Thee,
and for all the mountain moving down through life You’ve done for me.

When I needed some help you lifted me from the depths of great despair.
And when burdens, pain and sorrow have been more than I can bear,
you have always been my courage to restore life’s troubled sea,
and to move these little mountains that have looked so big to me.

Many times when I’ve had problems and when bills I’ve had to pay,
and the worries and the heartaches just kept mounting every day,
Lord, I don’t know how you did it. Can’t explain the where’s or why’s.
All I know, I’ve seen these mountains turn to blessings in disguise.

No, I’ve never moved a mountain, for my faith is far too small.
Yet, I thank you, Lord of Heaven, you have always heard my call.
And as long as there are mountains in my life, I’ll have no fear,
for the mountain-moving Jesus is my strength and always near.

Author Unknown

# # #

²Precept Austin quotation is from the “Mark 11 Commentary.” [2023.] Courtesy of Precept Austin, Mark 11 Commentary Resources, Subheading, “Whoever says to this mountain.” Web. Accessed 19 April, 2023.

Our Exceptional God

How Can Anyone Not Believe

April 18, 2023 Gracie

How Can Anyone Not Believe in Our Creator God?

Ever since I was a little girl I’ve loved seeing fireflies.

Tiny twinkling lights randomly dancing across the neighborhood under the night sky.

It’s such a great childhood memory, and one of the many reasons I delight in God.

Thank you God for the little firefly –

an amazing reminder that

creation is Yours

and how blessed we are to even share in it!

In Paul’s letter to the Romans, the apostle reminded the people, and by extension all of us, of the glory of God unveiled each new day.

Even so, the foolish still refuse to honor Him.

The evidence that creation belongs to God is staggering, despite skeptics’ failed attempts to disprove what we all know is true.

How can anyone not believe in our Creator God?

There’s a song by talented singer-songwriter, Leanna Crawford, that I’m drawn to for this very reason.

It’s called, “How Can You Not.”

I hope you enjoy the God-honoring and heartfelt lyrics as much as I do.

How Can Anyone Not Believe

There’s a sweet story behind the writing of Leanna’s song.

In an interview she once said, “For me, being outside was another way to feel closer to God.”

“My parents were visiting me in Nashville and my dad had never seen fireflies before. Most people don’t know this, but there are no fireflies in the Pacific Northwest. We were out walking in the rain because we’re from the rainy state of Washington and don’t care about getting wet. But when the rain slowed down, the field next to us lit up like the night sky. My dad saw all those fireflies and said, ‘How can you not see the Creator?’ It was such a beautiful moment. And I was reminded that God created things like fireflies to show us how much He loves us.” – Leanna Crawford, singer songwriter.²

Be sure to check out her YouTube channel and her “Leanna Loves” videos to learn more about this talented artist.

Her sweet spirit and engaging personality come shining through.

You can click here for a sample.

Leanna Crawford is currently on tour.

With stops from Tennessee to California, you can find her tour schedule here.

# # #

²Leanna Crawford quotation. “About Leanna Crawford.” [Leannacrawford.com]. Web. Accessed April 13, 2023.

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Reflections After Easter

April 11, 2023 Gracie

Reflections After Easter – Honoring Christ Every Day

This past Sunday, Christians all over the world celebrated the glorious resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

This wonderful celebration has come and gone, but is Easter really over?

Not in the least!

We have good news to share with the world!

As Christians, we know on a personal level the incredible love that God has for us.

We can’t earn His grace for that would be impossible.

We don’t deserve His love, and yet God wants us to be with Him forever in heaven.

As wretched and deserving of judgment as we are, God made a way and that is through the sacrificial atonement for our sins through His Son, Jesus.

Don’t miss your chance to share His message of hope and salvation to a world in despair.

Jesus told the disciples to “Go.”

Now, many generations later, it’s up to you and me to spread the gospel to the world.

Reflections After Easter – A Poem About The Lamb Of God

The following poem by M.S. Lowndes is a beautiful reminder of the blessed assurance that we have by God’s grace, and through Jesus Christ, His Son.

Tell the world!

THE LAMB OF GOD

Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God,
Who takes away our sin,
He came the sinless Son of God
To cleanse our hearts within

He hung upon the blood-stained cross
Thinking of you and me,
Dying like some hardened criminal,
His body in agony

His blood flowed down from the cross;
His body tormented with pain
He cried out to His Heavenly Father,
But it seemed no answer came

People stood and jeered at Him,
Mocking to the end
Who Jesus was and why He came,
They couldn’t comprehend

Their hearts were indifferent to the Lord;
Their consciences grew ever cold
His mother watched on – unable to bear it
As the sword pierced through her soul

As you try to grasp this picture,
The pain that Christ went through,
Remember that day you were on His mind,
He endured it all for you

Just so you could know His love
And forgiveness for your sins,
To know His resurrection power
And to have His life within

He cares that much about your life,
He endured the cross for you
Like those who jeered, or those who loved,
With Jesus – what will you do?

# # #

²Poetry courtesy of M.S. Lowndes. “The Lamb of God.” [online post]. From Heavensinspirations.com, ©M.S. Lowndes, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, n.d. Web. Accessed April 5, 2023. https://www.heavensinspirations.com/the-lamb-of-god.html

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Easter 2023

April 5, 2023 Gracie

Happy Easter 2023

For Christians everywhere – this Sunday we celebrate one of THE most important dates in our faith – Easter.

This is history’s most glorious moment!

Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, rose from the dead signifying His triumph over sin and death.

He is risen!

He is risen indeed!

From our home to yours, we wish you a very happy Easter 2023!

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“God Is Sovereign” Meaning

April 4, 2023 Gracie

What Does It Mean to Say That God is Sovereign?

A Bible teacher I am not, but to answer the question of God’s Sovereignty, we can first take a look at its definition.

According to dictionary.com, the word “Sovereign” means “supreme power or authority.” (Dictionary.com, n.d.)¹

I believe that secular definition is a pretty good description, but our ultimate authority on this is the Word of God.

Let’s take a look. This is from a Psalm of David.

²⁴ The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains,
The world, and those who live in it.
²For He has founded it upon the seas
And established it upon the rivers.
³Who may ascend onto the hill of the Lord?
And who may stand in His holy place? – Psalm 24:1-3, (NASB).²

The first line of Psalm 24 is pretty clear, isn’t it?

The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains . . .

God is Sovereign and Controls Everything

God is in control of everything. As a divine attribute of His Sovereignty, nothing can stop Him from His intended purposes.

As sinful humans, we don’t like not being in control.

It’s interesting that when God does not “intervene” (by human standards) in a crisis situation, some will question His power and majesty.

Do you remember that outrageous 2015 headline, “God isn’t fixing this” which also referenced prayer as “meaningless platitudes”?

How sad is it that people actually still think that way.

Here’s the truth:

God has the ability to do anything, to take action and intervene in any situation, but He often chooses to act indirectly or to allow certain things for reasons of His own. His will is furthered in any case. God’s “sovereignty” means that He is absolute in authority and unrestricted in His supremacy. Everything that happens is, at the very least, the result of God’s permissive will. This holds true even if certain specific things are not what He would prefer. The right of God to allow mankind’s free choices is just as necessary for true sovereignty as His ability to enact His will, wherever and however He chooses. – Got Questions website.³

The fact is we live in a sinful world, and we will suffer.

Whether it’s illness, or persecution, or anything else.

The Bible warns us about the sufferings we will experience in this life.

If God is Sovereign, Then Why Won’t He Stop Evil?

God’s sovereignty in a sinful world is a tough topic for many people.

The importance of God “allowing” actions as part of His sovereignty cannot be overstated. God’s causing the basis for an act to occur does not mean He is a responsible moral agent for the act. The moral responsibility for intentionally evil acts falls on those who commit the acts themselves. – Got Questions website.⁴

We won’t understand the concept of sovereignty perfectly. As the Bible says, His ways are not our ways.

Simply put, as our Creator, the world belongs to God so it’s His to do with as He wishes.

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

If God is Sovereign, Then Why Pray?

God’s Sovereignty is exactly the reason we should pray. He sees and hears our every cry.

We are talking to the One who created the heavens and the earth and the One who created you and me.

We should be falling on our knees in reverence and praise.

Trusting in God’s Sovereignty helps give us more peace about a situation.

Why?

Because it takes the pressure off of us in a lot of ways.

We can rest in the peace that God is in control no matter what is going on.

And, as Christians, we have nothing to fear.

He loves us in every sense of the word.

We were created by Him and for Him and God wants us with Him for eternity.

Our modern day sufferings are just for a little while.

Because we know the end of “His Story” (the Bible) we have all the reason to praise Him, to have great faith through the storm.

This is one of the many reasons that we can delight in God.

As prophesied in the Bible, we will have tough days ahead, but stay strong.

Dear friends in Christ, Jesus our Lord and Savior is coming back someday!

# # #

¹ Sovereign. (n.d.). In Dictionary.com. Retrieved from https://www.dictionary.com/browse/sovereign

³Quotation from gotquestions.org, from “What does it mean that God is sovereign? n.d., para. 6. Web. Accessed March 31, 2023. God’s Sovereignty.

⁴Quotation from go Sovereigntytions.org, from “Is God sovereign over death? n.d., para. 7. Web. Accessed March 31, 2023. https://www.gotquestions.org/is-God-sovereign-over-death.html

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