Sunday, July 13, 2025

Fact - Faith - Feelings - You Want A Sign?

 


Click the picture or this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iPIi7sunEU

Or search YouTube for David Phelps - No More Night

 

“And the Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and testing Him asked Him to show them a sign from heaven.  But He answered and said to them, ‘When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’  And in the morning, ‘There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ 

 

“Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?  An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah; and He left them, and went away.” Matthew 16:1-4

 

Philip Yancey began his book, Disappointment With God[1] with this statement: 

 

“I found that for many people there is a large gap between what they expect from their Christian faith and what they experience.  

 

From a steady diet of books, sermons, and personal testimonies, all promising triumph and success, they learn to expect dramatic evidence of God working in their lives.  If they do not see such evidence, they feel disappointment, betrayal, and often guilt.”

 

Most of us come to a personal relationship with Christ seeking answers, help, comfort, compassion, mercy, understanding – we may be at the end of our ‘rope’.  We learn of Jesus, the Son of God. 

 

Once we place our trust in His saving plan, there is naturally a temptation to be driven by our emotions, rather than the Truth and facts of His love for us. 

 

Many imagine there will be feelings of relief or comfort...or something extraordinary that will assure them it has happened.  They search for a personal miracle, sign, dream or wonder to substantiate their stepping out in faith.  

 

Campus Crusade for Christ (now called CRU) used an insightful and easy-to-remember illustration to help explain this truth using a train illustration with three cars:

  • Engine - car 1 = the Truth/ facts of salvation power the train
  • Coal car – car 2 = we place our trust/ faith in the Truth
  • Caboose - car 3 =  our feelings and emotions follow behind


These three represent different ‘parts’ of our salvation that work together in our decision to follow Christ.  However, the train will move very well no matter how we feel.  


The train illustration helps to clearly remind us that you can’t pull the ‘train’ with your feelings. 

 

There is nothing wrong with feelings and they may certainly follow your decision to place the coal (your trust) in the Truth of the Gospel. However, it is important to understand that oftentimes there are no unusual feelings that follow a decision to follow Christ.  Feelings alone can and should not be trusted to pull the train! 

 

Why you ask?  The reason starts in Genesis 3 when Eve trusted her opinion over God's and is mentioned or eluded to throughout Scripture. For example, Jeremiah says it well:    

 

“The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it.” Jeremiah 17:9

 

Some days we wake up and don’t feel God loves us anymore or is mad at us or is distant.  There are even times when we purpose to try to put distance between us and God.  Yet, once we placed our trust in His Truth, nothing can change our standing with Christ

 

[Jesus speaking] “’My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 

 

“’My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.  I and the Father are one.’” John 10:27-30). 

 

Sometimes, in our human eagerness to restore good feelings, we may resort to all kinds of works to ‘feel His closeness’ again.  However, works and feelings are never the answer and soon disappoint. 

 

Only Jesus offers all we need.

 



[1] Copyright © 1988 by Philip Yancey, published by Zondervan Publishing House.


Saturday, June 26, 2021

Do Not Be Distracted or Fooled


Click on the image or the link or
copy and paste the link into your browser
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=np-Ri1zeDCA 
or search YouTube for Off-the-Kirb Ministries
Creature so Unpredictable That Even Other Angels Won't Rebuke him


Let's get our facts straight when it comes to the 'chief deceiver'.  We must not ignore the evil one, but we must never put him in the centre of our thinking.  God is sovereign over all -- even the evil one.

Monday, June 21, 2021

Pentecost


The reason for Pentecost was to reverse the result at the Tower of Bable!  This 39 minute view is too important not to share because it clarifies so many misunderstandings about the purpose of Pentecost.  I pray each of you who finds this, will take the time to listen to every word of this precious sermon by Alasdair Begg on 3 June 2020.  

Recorded, in a surprising way, only God knew we would need today!  Thank you Father, for loving us THIS much!  

Saturday, June 12, 2021

How can I be assured that I am saved?

Click the image or the link or
copy and paste the link into your browser
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BOipuPD2uY 
or search YouTube for 
How can I be assured that I am among the chosen?
Ligonier Ministries


Every Christian I've ever known sometimes wonders and struggles with questions:  

HOW do I know that I'm truly saved?  

Have I done all that I'm supposed to do to BE saved?  

Why do I struggle with this?  Does this mean that I'm not saved?  

Why do I still keep sinning?  

If you are longing for the answer, take time to watch the short video and rest in the strength of His power to save you and hold onto your hand, even when you want to shake Him lose so He doesn't see your choices.  What a wonderful and gracious Father we have!

Friday, June 11, 2021

Why Worry? God’s in Charge!



Click the image or the link or 
copy and paste the link into your browser
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU4ucQtMzHk&t=1201s 
or search YouTube for Alasdiar Begg for
Why Worry?  God's in Charge

When the windscreens of our lives ice up, we need to have prepared by knowing that God has prepared us with a methodology to deal with the worst of the worst.  

By using the 'solvent' of God's Word in our lives ... and in this way we will be prepared to share the hope that is in our life.

Never pretend to be free from worry.  Life does impact every Christian.

Key, helpful 'solvent' verses to keep in your heart:

" ... but He has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, My lovingkindness and My mercy are more than enough -- always available regardless of the situation; for My power is being perfected and is completed and shows itself most effectively in your weakness.'  

"Therefore, I will all the more gladly boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may completely enfold me and may dwell in me.  So I am well pleased with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, and with difficulties, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak in human strength, then I am strong, truly able, truly powerful, truly drawing from God's strength.
II Corinthians 12:9-10

"So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; it will not return to Me void, useless, without result, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:11

Romans 14

Romans 8

"I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will continue to perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus -- the time of His return." 
Philippians 1:6

"Do not be afraid and anxious, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." 
Luke 12:32

Thursday, June 10, 2021

A Failed Solution


Scripture: 2 Samuel 11:6-13

Hard lesson that should touch us all.  Prepare your heart! 

Just say 'No!'  

The faithfulness of God overcomes the arrogant unfaithfulness of David, made king by His very hand.  How sad and sinful we are!  

Help us tremble at the door to sin!

Thank the Lord for His gracious forgiveness and hope in our development and understanding of His Word and will for us.

Saturday, May 22, 2021

Justified by Faith Alone in Christ Alone

 
Click the image or the link or 
copy and paste the link into your browser 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSxcJVRmHyw
or search YouTube for Justified by Faith Alone
Ligonier Ministries 

  "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad and easy to travel is the path that leads the way to destruction and eternal loss, and there are many who enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow and difficult to travel is the path that leads the way to everlasting life, and there are few who find it." Matthew 7:13-14

"Therefore, since we have been justified, that is acquitted of sin, declared blameless before God by faith, let us grasp the fact that we have peace with God and the joy of reconciliation with Him through our Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed.  

"Through Him we also have access by faith into this remarkable state of grace in which we firmly and safely and securely stand.  

"Let us rejoice in our hope and the confident assurance of experiencing and enjoying the glory of our great God, the manifestation of His excellence and power.

"And not only this, but with joy let us exult in our sufferings and rejoice in our hardships, knowing that hardship, distress, pressure and trouble produces patient endurance; and endurance, proven character, spiritual maturity; and proven character, hope and confident assurance of eternal salvation.  

"Such hope in God's promises never disappoints us, because God's love has been abundantly poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.  

"While we were still helpless, powerless to provide for our salvation, at the right time Christ died as a substitute for the ungodly.  

"Now it is an extraordinary thing for one to willingly give his life even for an upright man, though perhaps for a good man, one who is noble and selfless and worthy someone might even dare to die.  

"But God clearly shows and proves His own love for us, by the fact that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.  

"Therefore, since we have now been justified and declared free of the guilt of sin by His blood, how much more certain is it that we will be saved from the wrath of God through Him."  Romans 5:1-9

"For it is by grace, God's remarkable compassion and favour drawing you to Christ that you have been saved, actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life through faith.  

"And this salvation is not of yourselves, not through your own effort, but it is the undeserved, gracious gift of God; not as a result of your works, nor your attempts to keep the Law, so that no one will be able to boast or take credit in any way for his salvation.  

"For we are His workmanship, His own masterwork, a work of art, created in Christ Jesus, reborn from above -- spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used for good works, which God prepared for us beforehand taking paths which He set so that we would walk in them living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us."  Ephesians 2:9-10

(Bible Quotes from The Ampliflied Bible(TM), the Lockman Foundation