A Reputation of Faith and Love

We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints;

Colossians 1:3-4 NKJV

Your reputation is your billboard. It is how you are known.  It is what people are saying about you. The proverb declares: “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, Loving favor rather than silver and gold” (Proverbs 22:1 NKJV).

According to Paul, the believers at Colosse had a great reputation. Their faith was spoken of across the land. Paul had received reports of their faith while he was a prisoner in Rome.

Being people of faith and love makes for the very best of reputations. How can we develop such characteristics? Here’s some ideas:

1. Be a giver. Faith and love gives requiring nothing in return. Your time, talents, and treasures are meant to be given not hoarded.

2. Be an encourager. Faith and love always sees the best and has a kind word to share. A word of encouragement is a breath of life to a weary soul.

3. Be consistent in word and deed. Faith and love are not moody. They don’t run hot and cold. When people find you to be the same day in and day out they will call you faithful.

It’s a great day to be a Christian, and it’s a great day for faith and love to mark your life!

Many blessings to you.

Through Faith, We Know that We Know

God has made matters of faith very clear. Indeed, the Bible refers to these matters as the “record” God has given to us:

And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

1 John 5:11-13 KJV

When you hold your Bible today, you hold the record of God’s promises to man: salvation, healing, prosperity, cleansing, forgiveness, victory, peace. . . .  Every promise is offered to everyone. It just takes faith to receive them.

By faith we know that we know the promise is ours. There is an inner witness of the Holy Spirit confirming the promise is true:

All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true.

1 John 5:10 NLT

As you read your Bible, consciously acknowledge the truth of God’s Word. Say out loud: “This testimony is true. I BELIEVE and I KNOW IN MY HEART that I have all the benefits of Christian living promised by God.”  The Holy Spirit will agree with you.

Too many say they believe in Jesus but they don’t know anything regarding the blessings of Christian living. They don’t even know if they are going to heaven. It is all a mystery to them because they are unfamiliar with the Record of God’s blessings.

“These things have I written unto you that believe . . . .”

Believing begins with reading what has been written. Everyone is responsible for reading the Bible for themselves. With reading comes believing, and with believing comes knowing. No one can ever rob you of what you know to be true in your heart.

Grand View Church focuses on building faith through Bible-based preaching, so dreams and desires can be achieved. It is the vision of Grand View Church to equip others to fulfill their God-given purpose in life.

Be blessed today, and be a blessing to others.

Faithful Service and Blameless Living

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai—'God Almighty.' Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life” (Genesis 17:1 New Living Translation).


A Covenant of Land and Fruitfulness

The Lord was about to do something amazing in the life of Abram. The Almighty One was going to make a covenant with this old man: “I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants” (Genesis 17:2 NLT).

The covenant promised to multiply his descendants greatly. Nations would come from him, and of those nations would be kings.

Land would also be given to Abram’s descendants as a permanent inheritance: “And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God” (Genesis 17:8 NLT).


The Lord’s Requirements

What did the Lord Almighty require of Abram in return? SERVICE AND HOLINESS: “Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life.”

The words “serve me faithfully,” actually means, “walk before me.” It indicates that we are to conduct our affairs in plain view of God. To undertake His will faithfully—a service to which He inspires us and observes us.

Service is our apprenticeship to the mastery of Christ. It is a win-win; we mature through service, and the world reaps the benefits of our service.

Serving the cause of Christ is most effective when mixed with faith—strong faith. Serving Christ out of habit displays the proper actions but often lacks a faith-filled heart. But service that springs from an abiding faith is satisfying and fulfilling.

Faith sees the broad plans of God . . . service (faith in action) brings them to pass.

To live a “blameless” life is to set aside hindrances to one’s mission. But to be blameless sounds utterly impossible. The apostle Paul said that he was blameless regarding the ceremonial law (Philippians 3:6), but when He came to a saving relationship with Jesus he understood true blamelessness for the first time. He was washed in the Blood of Christ and was counted righteous by faith.

To be cleansed by the Blood of Christ is to be blamelessness. With such knowledge we aim to faithfully fulfil our mission without distractions that impede our success.